km
8th August 2003, 01:11.02 AM
About 5 hours north of San Francisco we traveled to the little Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale where they still have live racing for 8 days each year. The track appears to be shared with the local high school as the ball fields are in the infield. The half-mile oval is a historic relic of horse racing in California and has been running since 1896. The floorboards in the grandstand look like the originals - as walked by such notables as Wyatt Earp after his gunfighting days, he was a stable manager on the NoCal Fair Circuit for many years.
They only drew 10 horses for the 2 thoroughbred races (FER for download customers) and it is not hard to see why. This place is hard to access - it is a long winding drive through the beautiful redwood forests - and then well off the beaten path in farm country. The other races are for Arabians and Mules. Lots of fun and an atmosphere you won't find anywhere else. The locals are completely unsophisticated "how do I bet the exacta" but they are drunk and enthusiastic and having a ball. So did we. Next stop Oregon.
They only drew 10 horses for the 2 thoroughbred races (FER for download customers) and it is not hard to see why. This place is hard to access - it is a long winding drive through the beautiful redwood forests - and then well off the beaten path in farm country. The other races are for Arabians and Mules. Lots of fun and an atmosphere you won't find anywhere else. The locals are completely unsophisticated "how do I bet the exacta" but they are drunk and enthusiastic and having a ball. So did we. Next stop Oregon.