by Jessica Schroeder, assistant fair liaison, the U.S. Trotting Association

Columbus, OH — The USTA’s Matching Funds Grant program, set up to aide county, state and independent fairs and horsemen’s associations in promoting harness racing at the grassroots level, received 34 applications for the 2010 summer racing season.

Marketing proposals from the following fairs/organizations were selected as winners: the Barron County Agricultural Society (Rice Lake, Wis.); the Canfield (Ohio) Fair & Canfield Harness Horsemen’s Association; the Dayton (Pa.) Agricultural Society; the Fowlerville (Mich.) Harness Horsemen; the Hillsdale (Mich.) County Fair; the Lake County Fair (Painesville, Ohio); the Menard County Fair (Petersburg, Ill.); the Mercer County Agricultural Society (Celina, Ohio); the Ottawa County Harness Horsemen (Oak Harbor, Ohio); the Pickaway County Fair (Circleville, Ohio); the State Fair of West Virginia; the Union County Fair (Marysville, Ohio); the Wattsburg (Pa.) Agricultural Society; and the Wisconsin Harness Horse Association.

Winning proposals included a farm open house, equine mascot purchase, racehorse meet & greet, media celebrity race, t-shirt tosses, little drivers photo shoot, seat cushion and t-shirt giveaways, pick-a-winner contests, 4th of July & Veterans Day parade participation, poster, billboard and bus advertising, along with the standard newspaper and radio advertisements.

Successful applicants have already received 50 percent of their awarded money and will receive the other 50 percent once their final reports are submitted to the USTA within 30 days of the last day of their fair.

The Matching Funds Grant program began in 2006, through a mandate by the USTA’s Board of Directors, with $5,000 being allocated for distribution. Since 2007, the amount awarded has been $10,000, with each winning proposal receiving a maximum of $500. The 2010 program allowed applicants to request up to $2,500, however the amounts awarded varied from $250-$1,150.

For more information on the Matching Funds Grant program, click here.