LaPorte County Fair - LaPorte, Indiana

The LaPorte County Fair is held each year in LaPorte, Indiana.  Harness Racing at LaPorte has been a part of Indiana County Fair racing as long as anyone we talked with can remember.  "Since the beginning of the 20^th century…some even say they were racing in the streets before 1900," says LaPorte's Ron Chapman.

In the early 1900s, the first fairgrounds was built and numerous exciting races were contested.  In 1961, the fairgrounds was moved to its present location (just west of LaPorte), to make way for a new school.  The LaPorte High School now stands on the very spot where some of our parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents raced horses.  LaPorte has continued to support Indiana Harness Racing on a regular basis from the site.

Each year, Speed Superintendents Ron Chapman and Earl Kievert always seem to put together a terrific show for horsemen and spectators in mid-July.  LaPorte is the ONLY fair in Indiana generally hosting four consecutive days of Harness Racing!  It is one of the only fairs supplementing the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit races & overnight events.

Their staff works hard finding sponsors for their program.  They have several loyal backers who can be counted on year after year.

Besides the regular Indiana Sired Fair Circuit races, Ron and Earl always write a nice overnight program.  Their conditioned races provide some of the best County Fair overnight purses in the state.

The LaPorte oval is used year round by area horsemen as a training facility, so it is worked regularly and kept in good condition.  Several notable Indiana horses have trained and/or begun their racing careers at the LaPorte County Fairgrounds.  One example is the outstanding, Indiana Sired BF Nuclear Boy (1:52.2).  His owner/trainer, Clarence Shoffner, bases his operation from the LaPorte County Fairgrounds.