HONESDALE, PA — The Wayne County Fair is a long-standing tradition. The first fair was held in Bethany in 1822, and the following year it was moved to Pleasant Mount.

The inaugural gathering was sponsored by the Wayne County Agricultural Society, and although reported financial problems put a halt to these early endeavors, the society rebounded to hold fairs on the courthouse grounds in Honesdale from 1848 through 1856.

In 1961, the society was reorganized; a year later it was chartered and 22 acres of land were purchased from E.B. and G.W. Kimble along the Dyberry River a mile north of Honesdale.

Some of the first projects were the construction of a half-mile track for speed trials, fencing and buildings to house agricultural exhibits.

The original grandstand overlooking the harness racing track dates from 1902, was enlarged in 1931, and today, on the 161st anniversary of the county fair, serves as a prime vantage spot to view harness racing.

Jeff Firmstone has been the harness racing secretary and announcer “for the better part of 30 years now.” He noted that he has been involved with the fair since he was a child.

As with many of the fair’s directors, working at the fair is a family tradition—his father, John Firmstone, served in similar capacities for almost as many decades. “It’s generational, it’s family.”

In talking about the differences between Thoroughbred racing and harness racing, Firmstone explained, “It’s more economical; you can be hands-on, go and jog your horses on a Saturday morning, and the horses are more hardy.”

He noted that as in previous recent years, the fair featured four exciting days of harness racing, primarily Pennsylvania Sire Stakes events fielding two- and three-year-old horses. Firmstone recalled that the track’s most memorable race was in 2010, when Roger Hammer—“somewhat of a legend around the county fair circuit in Pennsylvania”—shattered the track record with Vivid Photo, a three-year-old and winner of the Hambletonian,  by posting a time of 2.02.5.

“It was an exciting day on a Wednesday afternoon,” he said.

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Firmstone was joined in 2023 by a cadre of fellow racing officials: presiding judge David Fisher, starter Keith Hamilton, starting gate driver Mary Martin, clerk of course Lisa Martin, timers (Dave Flederbach, Dave Gelatt and Bob Smith), photo finish Gretchen Quick and stall superintendent Sarah Hiller.

Several years ago, when Monticello Raceway first opened, they used the Wayne County Fairgrounds as a harness-racing training center for a couple of seasons during the winter months.

In recalling John Manzi, the legendary publicity man at the “Mighty M” for nearly four decades, Firmstone said that Manzi and his father were great supporters of the sport of harness racing.

“He was constantly upbeat, even in the hard times; it was all about the sport and the people involved.”

Rich Dunn is the trainer for MBC Stables of nearby Beach Lake, PA.

Asked about his passion for harness racing, he replied, “It’s just being around horses every day and watching them go and stuff like that… we train, jog and race them.”

While getting a horse ready in the barn to take to the track, as swallows swirled overhead among the beams, he added, “It’s interesting every day being around them; they’ve got their own personalities. They’re big dogs.

“It’s amazing to see. When you start one out, to see whether it’s going to be good or not,” Dunn added. He’s been around horses since “I was a child, and my Uncle Russell had harness horses. It was fun to be a kid and around them. You’d have to walk ‘em to cool them off.”

Taking a break from the action, 21-year-old Cody Schadel leaned against a post in the barn, studying the racing program for Wednesday, August 9.

“My dad does it,” he said of the sport he got started in at the age of 16. Of racing at the Wayne County Fair, he added, “It’s fun, and you go for the money.”