FARMINGTON — Bart Hill of Skowhegan came to the Farmington Fair early Thursday just to enjoy an afternoon program of nine harness horse races.

“It’s my thing,” he said, as he waited for the race to begin. “I don’t have to gamble like I used to. I enjoy talking with people and watching the races.”

The former Skowhegan teacher and coach, who spent summers driving logs on the Kennebec River until the drive stopped in 1976, said there were many years that he couldn’t attend the fair.

There may be years ahead when I can’t come either, he said. So for now, “I come every day that I can.”

Hill makes the rounds of fairs — Bangor, Union, Windsor, Farmington, Skowhegan and Fryeburg — mostly just to watch the races. Fryeburg is 112 miles from his home so he leaves at 4:30 a.m. four or five times during that fair.

Forgetting any losses, Hill remembers one of his best wins. Three years ago, he bet $5 to win on a horse name Quartz Obama at Bangor Fair. He won about $175.

At the Farmington Fair that year, he placed $2 to win and $3 to place on Quartz Obama. It paid $293 to win, and he went home with a total of $350 on his $5 bet, he said.

Wagers can be made for horses to win, place and/or show, he said, which is betting speak for first, second or third.

The racing program at the Farmington Fair has been good this year. The program has nine races with about seven horses each, said Norm Foss, who was working inside the betting booth.

Betting has been a little slower this year. He said he thinks it’s the economy.

Thursday was a senior citizen day and sunny skies brought people out to follow and enjoy the races. A crowd filled the pulling ring where pairs of horses pulled.

After each race for the past 35 years, the Farmington Horsemen’s Association has awarded a cooler, or blanket, to the winning horse of each race.

The local fair was the first to start the program, organizer Shannon Smith said. 

“We wanted to bring horse owners to Farmington Fair,” she said. “They would get a bonus for winning.”

The blankets are purchased with the help of area businesses. The business name is printed on the blanket. The horses then often wear them to other races, she said.

Six businesses have participated in the blanket program for 35 years, she said.

The six include Coldwell Banker Sandy River Realty, Tranten Family Stores, Maine Harness Horsemen, contractor Cliff Chase, Franklin Savings Bank and Franklin Chrysler.

Owners or employees of the business help award the blanket to the driver, who takes it back to the horse owner. 

Scott Landry, owner of Shiretown Insurance, went onto the track to award a blanket to the winning driver of the second race, Hawk’s Cry Electra, owned by David Miller of Lewiston.

Landry said he closed the downtown Farmington insurance office and brought his employees down for the fair just as many businesses used to do for fairs in the past.

Racing continues through Saturday. A truck and tractor pull is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. both Thursday and Friday nights. A demolition derby takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday.

abryant@sunjournal.com