The town of Fryeburg is located in Oxford County in the State of Maine and has a population of 3,500 inhabitants. It is the site of Fryeburg Fair, an annual agricultural event in early October which can attract up to 300,000 visitors. One of the main attractions at the Fair is the harness racing which takes place on a 4 furlong oval track, normally offering a 10 race programme daily from Tuesday to Sunday of Fair week. Racing enthusiasts are accommodated in a grandstand with the capacity to seat 3000 people. The earliest record of racing in Fryeburg was on a 4 furlong trotting course on 20th November 1858, but within 4 years a resident of Fryeburg, Mr W W Abbott raised sufficient funds to enlarge the track; however the Fair committee decided to leave the track as it was. It was a further 27 years before racing was moved to its present location in 1885, the first grandstand being completed in 1894. Some 75 years later the grandstand was moved back to enable the track to be further developed, while in 1982 the grandstand was enlarged to enable a pari-mutuel system to be accommodated. Throughout this time the principal race at the track has been the Blue Ribbon Classic. |
