entertainment: August 2009 Archives

Boy, was I wrong when I thought there were no longer horse races at the York Fair! Harness racing is scheduled on two exciting days for 2009. The first session will be Monday, September 14th at 6 p.m. and the second on Tuesday, September 15 at 10:30 a.m. Best of all--the races, which can last from three to three and a half hours each day, are included in your fair admission, with no additional charge.

Previous posts were about York Fair horse races in the 1860s, the 1920s, and the 1950s. I am glad to hear the long tradition of York Fair racing is being carried on.

I learned a lot from a conversation with Don Young, the York Fair Racing Secretary. He said that last year between 120 and 130 horses participated. There are 12 to 15 heats, or dashes, on each of the two days, depending on how many horses are entered. (Above a certain number, the field is split, resulting in additional dashes.)

There are two classes of racing each day: Quaker State and PA Sire Stakes with purses paid out for each. Two-year-olds race on Monday evening and three-year-olds on Tuesday.

1929 York Fair Horse Racing

York Fair time is rolling around again. Previous posts looked at horse racing at the fair in the 1860s and in the 1950s.

In 1929, horses and jockeys were part of a fair racing circuit from mid-August through mid-October. The Central Fair Circuit included Kutztown, Lancaster, Bloomsburg, Pottsville, Reading, Allentown, York and Frederick, in that order.

The York Fair touted itself as "One of America's Outstanding Half Mile Tracks." The York racing officials were E. C. Knebelkamp, Presiding Judge; Jack H. Yerian, Starter and Herbert D. Smyser, Racing Secretary.

The first page of an eight-page program and brochure promoting York Fair racing continues:

One of my recent posts was on the long tradition of Sunday School picnics in York County, brought up by my plans to help at my church picnic at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Chanceford Township, always held the first Thursday of August.

After a few hours of helping cut up pies and cakes, I took my usual position of manning (womanning?) the soup carry-out window. My daughter and I, armed with quart measures, doled out gallons and gallons of ham bean and chicken corn soup for the next eight hours with hardly a break.

We had many friendly conversations with the happy purchasers as we dished out the soup, but one sticks out.