The California Horse Racing Board deferred approving race dates for Northern California fairs this morning, voting instead to hold a special meeting on the item in February. The vote came after more than an hour of discussion and comment on the agenda item, a proposal by Bernal Park Racing Management Co. to conduct 19 weeks […]
Horse racing
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Humboldt County Fair to Hold Town Hall
With horseracing in the far back stretch as an option for entertainment, the Humboldt County Fair board and staff are seeking input from the public on what to do next. A town hall is scheduled for Monday, June 9, at 7 p.m. in the fairgrounds’ Turf Room. HCFA CEO Moira Kenny cautioned the board during […]
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Fair Association Continues Push for Race Dates, Holds Moment of Silence for Longtime Member
The Humboldt County Fair Association reiterated its intent to again apply for horse racing dates during the August fair from a state board next month, despite a tightening timeline and a host of uncertainties. During a report from the association’s Racing Committee at its April 28 board meeting, committee Chair Greg Gomes said he’s “trying […]
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Still No Racing Decision, but Fair Will Seek Meet Dates
February’s regularly scheduled board meeting of the Humboldt County Fair Association included an announcement from Junior Livestock Auction Chair Mandy Marquez that the committee has added three new members (Lee Chamberlain, Charlie Anderson and Breanna Cahoon), a decision for revised fair dates that will allow for the possibility of an open show and a report […]
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Fair Board Violates Brown Act in Deciding Fair Dates
The Humboldt County Fair Association violated California’s open meeting laws when deciding to advance a seven-day fair calendar during closed session Feb. 18. The amended fair dates — which will see the fair start Aug. 16 and close Aug. 24 — were formally approved by the board at its regularly scheduled Feb. 24 meeting after […]
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Fair Board Faces Critical Racing Decision Tomorrow
The Humboldt County Fair Association Board of Directors will meet tomorrow facing a decision its members say may shape the very future of the iconic annual event. At issue is whether the association should pursue holding a horse racing meet — a staple of the yearly event going back generations — even as the industry […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Ladies Throw Their Hats In
Participants in the 12th annual Ladies Hat Day at the Races event on Saturday offered some glamour and wild creativity in front of the recently repaired (from earthquake damage) horse-track grandstands at the 128th annual Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale. This year’s fair theme was “Ribbons, Rides & Racing,” with six days of horse racing […]
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Repairs to Grandstands Ready By Humboldt County Fair Time
This year’s Humboldt County Fair horse racing season took off from the starting gates Aug. 18, one week after emergency repairs were completed to prevent one of the annual event’s major draws from being scratched, which potentially could have put Ferndale’s spot on the racing circuit in jeopardy. But the repairs — including the installation […]
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NCJ Preview: Settler Cannabis, Supes Pony Up for Fair and Free Lunch
We’re talking about an excerpt from a Cal Poly Humboldt Native American Studies professor’s book and what it says about the Green Rush, the supes’ move to save the fair and Jefferson Community Center, which is feeding kids through a collaborative mentorship project. Hit subscribe for weekly updates on Humboldt stories.
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Without an Exclusive Second Week, Fair Racing Faces Competition
Horseracing at the 2023 Humboldt County Fair will once again overlap with races at Golden Gate Fields for the second week of the fair after four out of five California Horse Racing Board commissioners voted to keep the status quo. Jim Morgan, special counsel to the Humboldt County Fair, and others consider the competition for […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
The Race to Bring Horse Racing Back to the Fair
The Humboldt County Fair homepage says, “While there are still uncertainties as we move through 2021, plans to have a full fair including horse racing, vendors, carnival, exhibits and livestock is underway.” Come Friday, the fair is just seven weeks away with plenty of loose ends to be tied. At least now there are some […]
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The Eel River Jockey Club
In my last column I mentioned Rohnerville was once a hub of Southern Humboldt. I did not mean to imply that it still was in the 1960s but certainly it was 100 years earlier. Rohnerville is currently an unincorporated area about 2 miles southwest of Fortuna. The town was originally called Eel River. The Eel […]