by Fred Hudson

Burke, VA — The Preserve Harness Racing Group, spearheaded by Nancy Lisi, set up a harness racing display on Sunday (Jan. 29), promoting harness racing to the 100-plus guests of the event at the Burke Historical Society.

At the turn of the century harness racing was a big part of Burke, Va. The area had a racetrack that featured a grandstand with the capacity for 2,000-plus fans and a stable area that housed 75 horses. During the racing season fans from Washington, DC, would flock to Burke to wager on and enjoy the trotting races.

Event speakers Jon Vrana and Michael Clay Coopperthite both spoke of harness racing and how popular it was at the turn of the century and how important it was to the development of the community. Both speakers pointed out that the three major sports of that time were baseball, boxing and harness racing and that the Washington, DC, area had over 200 harness race tracks.

I was privileged to take questions and answers from guests who viewed the display and knew very little of the sport itself. The display itself was a collection of photos, some of the Burke racetrack itself, equipment and several different types of shoes. A lot of the questions that I received were directed at the photos themselves. I also did a brief explanation to the changes in equipment over the years. I also had to explain about the different gentleman driving clubs that existed at that time.

Others that participated behind the scenes include Ursula Ayd, Clarissa Coughlin and Art Lisi. Everyone did a great job in their efforts to promote harness racing. I send a big thank you to the Burke Historical Society for their warm welcome and hospitality.