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Tradition on the track: Harness racing closes out two-night run at the Richland County Fair
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Richland Source
Drivers in lightweight sulkies steered Standardbred horses through the turns during the second and final night of harness racing at the 176th Richland County Fair.
But as harness racing gained immense popularity in the mid-19th century, Richland County emerged as a premier regional hub for the sport.
Though the county fair relocated to its current Home Road grounds in 1957, the devotion to county-fair circuit racing stayed intact.
Unlike Thoroughbred racing, where jockeys sit atop horses in full gallop, harness racing pairs two-wheel carts with Standardbreds trained specifically in a precise gait — either a trot or a pace.
(Below are photos from a full slate of harness racing Monday evening at the 2026 Richland County Fair, 750 N. Home Road.)