by Tami Hartman

Circleville, OH — Horse racing is often referred to as “The Sport of Kings,” but is it truly a sport practiced and enjoyed only by men — wealthy, powerful men, at that? If you’re referring to harness racing, then the answer is no. For this reason, the Pickaway County Fair Speed Committee has named Saturday, June 18, as Ladies’ Day to honor the legacy of women in racing.

Statistically, harness racing, like most major sports, is a male-dominated field. According to information compiled by the United States Trotting Association in 2010, only about 7.5 percent of drivers, 12.7 percent of trainers, and 23.6 percent of owners are female, but these numbers can be misleading — first of all, because the USTA does not ask its members’ gender and determining gender from names can be inconclusive, but, most importantly, because drivers, trainers, and owners are only a small segment of the wide variety of participation that occurs.

For instance, large numbers of women work as grooms, providing the race horses’ daily care. Many other women work within the infrastructure of racing, serving as officials, race secretaries, clerks of course, administrative assistants, etc. And then there are the myriad of women who support racing at the local level by manning speed offices, serving on county fair speed committees and in horsemen’s associations, or working food booths to raise needed funds. These women may never show up on official records or be counted in national statistics, but they are an integral and vital part of harness racing.

Here in Pickaway County women have long been active in harness racing, although looking at a race program may not give this impression. For instance, during the 2010 race meet, 22 races were contested; only one race contained a female driver. It should be noted, however, that she drove the winner. Female trainers were slightly more represented with three women entering horses to race; one of these women, Barb Porter, trains year-round at the Circleville fairgrounds.

What the program does not necessarily show is the hard work and dedication of numerous other women that contributed to the success of last year’s event and to the past and future success of the program.

One such woman is Stoutsville resident Donna Anderson who has been chosen by the Speed Committee to serve as an honorary starter as part of the Ladies’ Day program on June 18. By her own account, Donna has sat behind a race horse only once in her life, but she has owned numerous horses since the 1970s, and has worked in many capacities with the Speed Committee and the Pickaway County Harness Horsemen’s Association to ensure the continued success of harness racing in this area.

Other local women will be honored in a short ceremony preceding the races on Saturday. Post time is 12:45 p.m. Admission is free, prizes will be awarded between races, and the first 50 ladies attending will receive a free carnation in honor of the day’s theme.