No racing likely means shorter fair

WARREN -- The Trumbull County Fair will likely be two days shorter this year because of the fair board's decision to eliminate harness racing.
The board voted last year to eliminate harness racing, which has been a tradition at the fair for several decades, board President Richard Roscoe said.
"We were just losing too much money on it," he said.
Roscoe estimated that the fair lost between 3,000 to 5,000 on harness racing last year. The cost to house and feed the animals was greater than the small amount of money the fair made from betting, Roscoe said. The fair will probably be two days shorter, running from July 10-15, because of the elimination of harness racing, Roscoe said.
The fair had been open eight days in previous years to accommodate the harness racing. The first two days of the fair -- when the harness racing took place -- were open to the public for free.
At this time, the fair will not be open July 8-9 unless an event can be found to take the place of harness racing.
Events for July 10-15 have already been scheduled and include school bus racing, stock-car racing, a demolition derby and tractor pulls, Roscoe said.
"If it's fast and loud and kicks up dust, it fills the grandstand," Roscoe said. "Anything that has a loud motor, that's the kind of thing Trumbull County likes."
Roscoe said he has heard complaints about the elimination of harness racing but not as many as he expected. The board will decide whether to reinstate harness racing in 2008 after this year's fair, Roscoe said.