The Afton Fair Harness Racing Event
June 13, 2024.
The Afton Fair Harness Racing Event
Be sure to review the Rules & Regulations for bringing Animals to the Afton Fair well in advance!
2023 PDF Downloads:
Health Requirements & Eligibility
Horses must meet the health requirements listed in Afton Fair Premium Book as well as the Eligibility requirements. Ensure that you review the Rules & Regulations for bringing animals to fairs and the animal health requirements for fair animals! If you are bringing animals from outside of New York State, please review the Interstate Animal Health Requirements.
Race Officials and Contact Information
- Email: contact@theaftonfair.com
About Harness Racing
The horses used in harness racing are Standardbreds and only a registered Standardbred may compete in a sanctioned harness race. They must be registered with the United States Trotting Association. Parentage today is determined by DNA testing. Each horse that is registered must have a lip tattoo or a freeze brand, usually on the neck.
Standardbreds are a relatively new breed dating back approximately 200 years. The name originated because the early trotters were required to reach a certain standard for the mile distance in order to be registered in the new breed. The pacer didn't come into the picture until much later.
Trotters move with a diagonal gait, the left front and right rear legs move in unison as do the right front and left rear. Pacers move the legs on one side of the body at the same time, left front and rear and right front and rear. Trotters only race with other trotters and pacers with other pacers. There is an occasional exception such as some qualifying races and some fair races.
Most Standardbreds start racing as two or three year olds who have been entered in the County Fair Stakes. Some fairs, such as here in Afton also have a few races for older horses and also may have specialty races like the CKG Billing Amateur Trot which features the drivers as the amateurs, not the horses.
