by Jessica Schroeder

The Wisconsin Harness Horse Association and Elkhorn Trotting Club will be hosting a special day of racing on Saturday, July 28, — the Roy Kline Memorial Race Meet. This race meet, held at the Walworth County Fairgrounds in Elkhorn, Wis., is in honor of the lifelong horseman who died of cancer on May 24, 2006.

Roy was a dairy farmer for many years, but in the early 1960s the harness racing bug bit him. He went to a sale with longtime friend O.L. “Buck” Weaver and purchased his first horse, Lucky Boy Win. With the help of Weaver and Eddie Casagran­da, the horse made it to the races. Roy raced at many Wisconsin and Illinois fairs and at the Chicago tracks. He was a member of the USTA, Wisconsin Harness Horsemen’s Association, and the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association.

In 2001 he made his final drives at his hometown fair, the Walworth County Fair, where he drove Lil Miss Hilkris to a pair of victories for owner/trainer Casagranda. Roy received the Wisconsin Horseman of the Year award in 1998 and was inducted into the Wiscon­sin Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.

The Roy Kline Memorial Race Meet will kick off with gate schooling at 10:00 a.m. and races starting at 1:00 p.m. In between races, there will be a special gathering in front of the grandstand to remember Kline and share a few stories. Immediately following the races will be a picnic in the barn area.

If you have memories of Roy you would like to share, but cannot attend the race meet, we ask that you e-mail WHHA President Gabe Wand at gabewand@yahoo.com.

If you would like to enter horses for this race meet, entries close at 11:00 a.m. (CDT) on Wednesday, July 25. You can call entries to Susan Schroeder (414) 379-2494 or Becky Swinehart (608) 728-1818. The races will be charted.

To learn more about Wisconsin harness racing, visit www.wiharnessracing.com.