There have been times when a day or so of the fair was rained out.  However, the weather, for the most part, has smiled during the event.  Rain fell so much in 1875 that the fair was termed “rained out”, and the treasury went in debt.  In 1866, high water flooded out the fair in September and it was held in October.

In 1863, less than two months before the fair, Confederate Calvary leader Gen. John Morgan made his infamous swing through Southern Indiana.  It was estimated Morgan’s men confiscated approximately 450 horses from Harrison County.  In some instances, they left their, tired worn-out horses behind and took the fresh horses on the journey.  It is easy enough then to imagine such comments being passed at the fair as follows:

“I’d ‘a won that three-year-old with my mare, Susa Belle, them rebels stole from me.  But as it is I ain’t got anything except the stack a bones they left me.”  Or, “Jim can thank them rebels that he is the winner.  I hid that sorrel stallion of mine in a sink hole and in tryin’ to pull loose he sprung a tendon.”

The horses Morgan’s men left behind proved beneficial to some of the winners in the “Little Ring” at later fairs because many of them were from excellent bloodlines.

To most people in Southern Indiana, the mention of harness racing immediately brings to mind the name of Elmer Conrad.

Between 1938 and 1975, Conrad owned, raced, and won with probably as many horses as all other owners in Harrison County combined.  As driver of his own horses, he ranks at or very near the top of all of Indiana in the number of drives made, and in victories scored.

There were Standardbred races at the first fair in 1860, but they were different.  At the first fair and at fairs for a number of years afterward, the horses were ridden under saddle and raced against time.

An amphitheater was built early in the history of the fair and seats were placed on the hillside where crowds could sit and watch races.

In the early days, to win first money a horse had to win three heats out of five.  On one occasion, a horse had to go eight heats in the mud before it was decided.  In another race, the famed “Bertha W” and “Little Wonder” had to race until dark before the winner was decided.

Bertha W won more races on the Harrison County Fair track than any other horse.  She raced for 15 years on the Harrison County track, seldom failing to win.  In her final dash, she fell dead on the track after winning a half mile pace in 1:09.  She had a mark of 2:17 ¼.

The importance of horses at the fair is illustrated in an item about the fair of 1876.  On August 30^th of that year lightning struck and killed seven horses, including a valuable stallion.  “The event put a damper on the fair that year.”

Today, racing continues on two or three days of the fair each year.  Local businesses support the event by sponsoring blankets for the winners and other needs to conduct racing.  Indiana Governor, Frank O’Bannon, is from Corydon and he has made many appearances during his years as a leader in state government.

Harness Racing has made an enormous impact on the Harrison County Fair.  Because of the rich history embodied in this particular fair: The Civil War, the location at Corydon (Indiana’s First State Capital), and the number of years this event has spanned, racing clearly has impacted the entire region and the State of Indiana. 

Sources: The Corydon Democrat, Kean Irwin, in the Centennial Program of the Harrison County Fair, “The Two Minute Mile” by H. O. Whitey Jones, and Alvin Walther of Lanesville, Indiana.