The Van Wert County Agricultural Society Board of Directors has decided to postpone indefinitely any Thoroughbred or Quarter Horse racing during the Van Wert County Fair for the foreseeable future.  Due to circumstances beyond our control such as a new safety requirement that will require us to purchase safety equipment for everyone working in the Paddock and starting gate area, rising fuel costs creating an additional challenge to get both horses and jockeys to travel here for a one day event, a disparity in purses between our event and the commercial tracks (commercial tracks are paying out 3 to 4 times minimum what we can currently offer) and an overall shortage of horses in the Thoroughbred  industry has led us to this decision. 

The Van Wert County Fair has hosted Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse races for 126 years of the Fair’s 166 year history. It has been a staple of the Fair and one that we will continually work at to find answers as to how we can continue that tradition. For now, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the owners, trainers, jockeys, sponsors, volunteers, organizations and especially our patrons who helped to bring those 126 years to life. We look forward to the day when we can boast of the 127th year of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing at the Van Wert County Fair.  

In its place, the Van Wert County Fair will have harness racing, giving our fair patrons a memorable fair experience to share with family and friends.  Harness racing will take place with a post time of 12:00 PM on Monday, September 5, 2022 with pari-mutuel wagering.