Once, you could hear the sound of thundering hooves, the call of the drivers, the roar of the crowd, the beauty of the horses, the vivid colors of the silks, and the shining spokes of the sulkies as an afternoon of harness racing began at the State Fair of West Virginia. (Portions taken from a 1998 State Fair of WV race program)
Some still remember going to an exciting afternoon of racing at the old wooden grandstand, where the judge’s stand was under a big umbrella across the race track beside the old wooden stage. Before and in between each race, the large racing crowd was treated to jazzy tunes like Hello Dolly, Cabaret,and many others from the York Spring Garden Band from York, PA. Acrobats on stage and high wire acts beside the stage also entertained the harness racing crowd.
Dave Tuckwiller and Joe Black Hayes in their 1998 State Fair race video, told the story of one particular old race horse barn on the fairgrounds, where the Arbuckle family boarded their race horses. And since these Arbuckle men were Presbyterians, it soon became known as the Presbyterian barn.
Many have sponsored races for this great event year after year. Some of late were the George Aid family, the Jack Arbuckle family, the Col. N.S. Arbuckle family, the Clemons family, the Joe Black Hayes family, the Frank McClung family, Simms Exxon, the Carl Smith family, the David E Tuckwiller family, and the Frank Wilson family. Those who sponsored racing programs during the 1990s were Food & Friends, the Jack Arbuckle family, Reynolds Oil, Lewisburg Cash Register, Greenbrier Valley Farm Center, One Valley Bank, Greenbrier Motors, and Greenway’s Auction from Covington, VA.
I have kept racing programs for the past forty years, and here are some results from past decades.
Forty years ago, in 1985, Red Oak Rick from Ronceverte, WV, won the most races with three. The fastest pacer was Shenandoah Rocky, a 4-year-old from Woodstock, VA, who paced the mile in 206.2
Thirty years ago in 1995, Crysta’s Exchange, a 5-year-old from Laurelville, OH, won the most races with five. The fastest pacer was Laker Hanover, a 3-year-old from Woodsboro, MD, who paced the mile in 200.1.
Twenty years ago in 2005, Flaming Saber, United Pan and Brittling Saber won the most races with two. The fastest pacer that year was United Pan, a 6-year-old from Monroe, MI, who paced the mile in 201.1.
Ten years ago in 2015, Pathian, a 5-year-old from New Philadelphia, OH, won the most races with two. The fastest trotter was also Pathian, who trotted the mile in 201.2. The fastest pace of the State Fair that year was Bourbon Street Hanover, also from New Philadelphia, OH, who paced the mile in 157.3.
Harness racing at the State Fair of West Virginia was one of the most exciting attractions for nearly 100 years, and there are currently 112 harness racing tracks in the USA. In 2025, MGM Northfield Park in Ohio will race year-round. The Meadows in PA will race 166 days, the Meadowlands in NJ, 92 days, and Shenandoah Downs in VA, 28 days, in 2025, plus many county fairs in twenty states still enjoy the sport. Fairgoers at the State Fair of Illinois still enjoy harness racing.
