No pastime was more popular in the early days of La Plata County than horse racing. The original Fairgrounds were established expressly for that purpose. Horse racing meets were held throughout the year and eventually became part of the annual fairs and fiestas held in August and September. By the 1970s, legalized para-mutual wagering was part of the meet. Public racing meets ended in the early 1980s when the grandstands were no longer safe to use. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org (Catalog Number: 13.01.30 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)
No pastime was more popular in the early days of La Plata County than horse racing. The original Fairgrounds were established expressly for that purpose. Horse racing meets were held throughout the year and eventually became part of the annual fairs and fiestas held in August and September. By the 1970s, legalized para-mutual wagering was part of the meet. Public racing meets ended in the early 1980s when the grandstands were no longer safe to use. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, [email protected] (Catalog Number: 13.01.30 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections)