252 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



last resort we came down to Des Moines and got a lot of runners 

 A¥ho gave us entertainment every day. We had running races, 

 but no trotting horses. Of course I know there were other fairs 

 in session around us who had some races, but I think that the great 

 majority of them failed to get the number of entries they wanted. 

 Now the key note of the article that was read here with reference 

 to entries was that we make the horsemen run for their own money. 

 I join in the sentiment of the writer who says that the greatest 

 attraction — one of the greatest attractions, greatest drawing at- 

 tractions to all of our fairs is the racing. We all enjoy it. There 

 is one criticism I must make on some fairs, and that is in allowing 

 some other entertainment to interfere with the racing that is going 

 on. It is a very common thing, I know, or, quite common to have 

 a ball game, base ball game coming on at the same time. You can 

 not look at both nor enjoy both. It would be about like putting 

 a wrestling match up on one side of your th'eater and the regular 

 performance going on at the same time. I believe when the racing 

 program is on it should have the floor, and then people who are 

 giving attention to the ball game or some other game will give 

 attention to the races, and you can not have anything popular and 

 enjoyable unless the whole crowd takes to it and likes it, and the 

 crowd can not take to racing unless they have an opportunity to 

 see it without interruption. I believe that the speaker struck the 

 key note when he said we ought to reduce the entrance price, if 

 not entirely do away with it. Of course the horses must be regu- 

 lated and have penalty attached if they fail to come after entering, 

 but it seems to me that horsemen can not fail too much. It is im- 

 possible, if you consider the matter from a financial standpoint, for 

 all the horsemen to win. Some must lose out. There isn't money 

 enough to pay them all, and the good horseman has to be a pretty 

 good sport. I would like to hear from some of the secretaries who 

 have been successful in getting full entries, and have them tell us 

 how they do it. 



Mr. Reeve : This whole proposition in life is a gamble from be- 

 ginning to end, and above all else the horse race is gam])liiig. We 

 can not dodge that point. The secretaries who are running these 

 fair associations are interested; it is a business proposition. They 

 are interested in making that association a success. 1 1' Jliey have to 

 look after the financial part of them. The man that holds the horse 

 is running that horse for the money he gets out of it. Both of 

 them are engaged alike. As you say some people must be success- 



