SC Rewind: Love A Fair

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Published: August 22, 2009 08:32 am EDT

Robert Smith takes an affectionate look at the fall fairs of yesteryear and relives some of their history and colourful tales

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Many communities across the land observe the renewal of a very old tradition at this time of year. It is called fall fair time. There is probably nothing in our heritage more Canadian than the agricultural fair. Fairs as we know them today are said to have started early in the 19th century. They quickly gained in popularity and soon all kinds of animals and produce were shown and judged, including harness horses.

Harness racing began to be held in the second half of the 19th century and historians believe the first fair races were held at the U.S. Agricultural Society Fair in Philadelphia. Their introduction in Canada soon followed and harness horses were a magnet that helped early fairs grow and prosper. The first fall fair in Ontario, or Upper Canada, was at Niagara on The Lake; it went out of existence many years ago. After initial opposition it was unanimous that the fast trotting and pacing horse was recognized as one of the most valued of all agricultural products. Thereafter all good fairs had harness racing as part of their annual programs.

As recently as a couple of generations ago virtually all horsemen served an "apprenticeship" on the fair circuit. That is where most new drivers, and for that matter, new horses were tried. Once proven, the move to the "big tracks" took place. I would venture a guess that even a number of today's older drivers remember the days of the fairs, and probably with fondness. Many of those drivers continued their allegiance in the years that followed as evidenced by this quote which appeared in The London Free Press in 1961.

"Keith Waples, 37, of Victoria Harbour, Ont. will fly home from Montreal to drive in the 10-dash harness race meeting over his home Coldwater, Ont. track Saturday. Assisted by his younger brother Murray, 32, also a capable driver, the Waples brothers have nine horses racing at London, 30 in Montreal and another seven at Saratoga Springs, New York ... This says more than a little about a top driver's feelings toward the importance of fall fair racing.

The following tale, now in its third century of telling, shows the timeless nature of family folklore and it all started at a fair.

In a somewhat legendary appearance at the Exeter, Ont. fair in 1898, Sidney Hodgins from The Clandeboye area, appeared in his first public race. Driving a horse with the unlikely name of "Barney," for which he had paid $5, Sidney was unable to borrow a low wheeled rubber-tired sulky, already the accepted racing vehicle of the times. Not to be discouraged, he decided to compete with his own high wooden wheeled cart, a relic from an earlier era even at that long ago time. When he appeared in the post parade he became the laughing stock of the crowd, drawing a chorus of catcalls and jeers from the crowd. They thought he was a clown, hired for the show.

Once the race was underway, Sidney and Barney had the last laugh. Perched high above his mount, in the creaking old relic, the young Mr. Hodgins went on to capture three straight heats thus launching a lengthy career in the sport and an interest that is still pursued by his descendants to this day.

Incidentally if the surname "Hodgins" seems slightly familiar, Sidney's son Clint, born some nine years after this time, had "quite a career" himself.

Somewhat sadly it seems that with each passing year, fewer and fewer fairs include racing. If you have never experienced races at the fair try it, as it is always a little different but always entertaining. One fair that still presents excellent racing is held on Thanksgiving weekend in Simcoe, Ont. and is called the Norfolk County Fair. Thanks to the efforts of Bob Kowalsky, they are one of the few remaining fairs that feature harness racing.

Although many fall fairs remain, their heyday is a distant memory. I can recall a gentleman many years ago telling me about the demise of his hometown's fair. He said, "It just kept getting smaller and smaller until finally only a cow and a pumpkin remained. The cow ate the pumpkin and the cow died ..."

SEE YOU AT THE FAIR ...

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