Richard Thomas Memories

PONIES AT THE HARTFORD FAIR 

I always had a pony at the Hartford Fair.  Some times I would have one from Don Chidester or from Bill Shepherd.  One year I had one from each.  I would sleep in the horse barn all during the fair. All the Hartford School kids were given the week off. The school authorities started that because of the 4H and because most kids stayed out of school anyway. My mother worked at the Methodist church tent so she would check on me each day before she went home. 

One time one of the ponies was from Texas and was kind of wild. I was riding him around in the race track infield when the bridle broke and the bit fell out, so the pony took off for the barn on a dead run.  My cousin Junior Till had his pulling team there and saw what was happening and ran his team out in front of the pony. The pony stopped, but I did not. Fortunately, I was not hurt.  

My cousin Ralph Till was at the fair the next day and said that he could ride that pony. When he got on the pony it began to buck and rear up, and one time the pony fell over backwards and almost fell on Ralph.  

PHOTO: I ran across a website with old pictures of Hartford. This is one of them -- Van Buren County Fair. I don't know what year exactly, but this was probably near the time that my dad had ponies at the fair.