THE GREAT DARKE COUNTY FAIR TO HOST 2012 $10,000 GENE RIEGLE MEMORIAL OPEN PACE

Gene Riegle

Racing returns to Greenville, Ohio on Friday night, August 17 for the Great Darke County Fair’s annual week long race meet. Racing also takes place on Saturday, August 18, afternoon and night, and on Thursday, August 23 and Friday, August 24 in the afternoon and night. Afternoon post times are 1 pm with evening post times at 7 pm.

Friday and Saturday night will feature the Ohio Colt Racing Association events. Friday night also will feature The Terry Thomas Memorial Signature Series Trot. Saturday night will feature the Rhys Bowman Memorial Signature Series Pace.

The following Thursday and Friday night sessions will feature the Dr. HM Parshall Memorial Futurity. All the sessions will host several overnight events for both trotters and pacers.

Closing night will feature the first edition of the Gene Riegle Memorial Open Pace. The event is open to the world, with no more than 8 starters; the top eight 2012 money earners entered will have preference, no trainer’s entries. The event is carded as one dash for a purse of $10,000.

The week long racing meet is dedicated to the memory of Darke County native and Harness Racing Hall of Famer, Gene Riegle. The celebration will include a pictorial essay in the grandstand on race days which will give all the fans and friends a look back at the life and accomplishments of Gene Riegle’s harness racing past.

Equine artist, Ann Lufkin has been commissioned by the Darke County Harness Horsemen’s Association to do a painting of Gene and Champion Arts Place, which will also be on display. The painting will be given to the family in a track side presentation on closing night. The family then will present the painting to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame and Museum in a track side presentation on Jug Day in Delaware, Ohio.

Closing night will feature the giveaway to the first 1,000 fans buying a racing program a Gene Riegle Bobble head figurine.

Nightly there will be t-shirt giveaways to the fans in the stands as well as the fans that line the track by the Darke County Harness Horsemen’s Association.

Several amateur driving races have been carded and the Race Office is looking for both trotters and pacers to be used for these events. Anyone with a horse to be used for these events should contact Tim Harless at 937-564-3393.

The Great Darke County Fair wishes to thank all of the sponsors and the warm outpouring