A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
It was a race for second between Amber Mielke (left), Meghan Olson and Heather Olson in the large pony race.
Jordan Olesiak (left) and Jake Olsesiak race in the thoroughbred half-mile Saturday
This photo of the track grounds around 1900 come from the Carlton County Historical Society.
Now in its 128th year, horse racing has missed only one of Carlton County Fair's remarkable 129 years, and that was the very first fair, according to the event's superintendent, Kari Siltanen.
Since then it's been going strong, thanks mostly to a collection of dedicated volunteers.
Siltanen said without those volunteers the complicated racing program would not be possible.
"Each year the track starts out from a grassy field and after countless hours of dragging the track it turns into a horse racetrack," she said. "Chuck Hibke was in charge of prepping the track with the new drag that was purchased by Jake and Bridie Wickstrom, Dale VanGuilder, Ron's Classic Construction, Dale and Annette Gould, Chuck Hibke, Troy and Tina Westendorf, the Ken Botosh family, Jenson Tractor Sales and the Carlton County Fair board."
The horse racing program is now the only one on the state's county fair slate and thus draws riders from Wisconsin, Hibbing, Little Falls, Hillman, Duluth, Cook, Hibbing, St. Paul, Bigfork, White Bear Lake, Sandstone, Brainerd, Wrenshall, Cloquet, Kerrick, Aitkin, Stanchfield, Two Harbors, Barnum and as far away as Nebraska.
There were eight races on Saturday and 11 on Sunday this year, including lead line, small pony, jockeys in training, medium pony, large pony, a farmers' race, thoroughbred races of a quarter-mile, half-mile and a grand finale one-mile derby.
Mahtowa Mafia was back this year, with the Derby winner Mel's War ridden by jockey Jordan Olesiak, in honor of Kevin "Mel" Wright who passed away earlier this year. Also recognized for their support and involvement with horse racing were Laddie and Amy Litfin.
Siltanen said plans for the future include expanding the kids' races with pony stick races and gunny sack races, noting such events fill the time to get the next set of horses ready for the track.
"There are so many people who help out to make the horse races happen," she said. "There are jobs to do before, during and after. Everyone knows their job and offers to help each other out. Once everyone enters the track, it is all systems go."
