by Arthur Lisi and Robert Swain

Accokeek, MD — On the bluffs of the Potomac, just outside the nation’s capitol, the Alice Ferguson Foundation administers Hard Bargain Farm, a lovely 330-acre environmental education campus, in Accokeek, Md.

Preserve Harness Racing LLC, a nonprofit that seeks to promote and protect harness racing in the capitol region, recently presented an exhibit at the foundation’s annual Spring Festival on May 7.

Their booth, manned by Rosecroft horsemen, presented race videos, historic harness, colors and a sulky. Children listened intently as a Standardbred farrier patiently explained the mysteries of racehorse shoeing, and rewarded each one with a souvenir horseshoe. But the star attraction and crowd-pleaser was a friendly pacer, 8-year-old Party My Way, provided by trainer/driver Clyde Oglesby.

A display of photos and newspaper articles took viewers as far back as the 1880s, when scores of harness tracks could be found in the DC area. The harness horse has a long and rich heritage in our part of the country. George Washington, whose Mt. Vernon estate faces Hard Bargain Farm just across the river, was an avid horseman who raced both Thoroughbreds and pacers.

The group is dedicated to preserving and promoting the harness racing sport in the national capitol region. Exhibits and educational opportunities like the Hard Bargain event will stimulate interest and increase the fan base for live racing, and the group is already planning its next events.