"Our fair is steeped in tradition and history, and each year it gets better and better," said fair board President J.R. Ramsburg, Jr. "From the livestock exhibits to the carnival attractions to the educational exhibits, we offer something for nearly every fairgoer."

Billed as one of the oldest county fairs in the country, The Great Frederick Fair offers top notch livestock shows featuring beef and dairy cattle, sheep, alpacas, dairy goats and pigs.

The Great Frederick Fair is also known for its "Machinery Row," a display provided by the Central Maryland Equipment Dealers Association. This exhibit is one of the largest east of the Mississippi, and this year’s display will feature more than $3 million worth of virtually every type of farm and lawn and garden equipment available on the market today.

Another fair tradition is harness racing, featured daily at 1 p.m. from Tuesday, Sept. 21-Friday, Sept. 24.

"Harness racing is just one of the many traditional exhibits still offered at the fair," Ramsburg said. "The Great Frederick Fair takes pride in having this event at our fair because it is such a part of not only our fair’s heritage, but Maryland’s heritage as well."

The afternoon grandstand event is free and open to the public. Come watch as these horses make their "stretch" around the half-mile track. You'll also hear other harness racing lingo as the racing announcer keeps the spectators informed of who's "boxed in," which horse "breaks" and who's running in the "garden spot."

Harness racing as it is known today began in 1806 when records show that a gelding named "Yankee" trotted a mile in less than three minutes for the first time.

Trotters and pacers, called Standardbreds, received their biggest boost in 1788 when a grey Thoroughbred named "Messenger" arrived in America from England to become the patriarch of a family of quality trotting horses.

Today, the U.S. Trotting Association services some 350 fairs that offer harness racing, such as The Great Frederick Fair. Nearly three million fans watch harness racing at fairs across the country. About one in five fairs offer mutual wagering, however The Great Frederick Fair does not. The nation's most prestigious Standardbred pacing race, the Little Brown Jug, is featured each year at the Delaware County Fair in Ohio.

Horses generally average speeds of 25 to 30 miles per hour for the mile distance races. Some other frequently asked questions about harness racing are:

•Does a driver's weight make a difference in driving? No, except under muddy conditions. However, trends today have been going to smaller and lighter drivers.

•Is it better for a horse to race along the rail? Yes. Experts figure that a horse racing five feet from the rail will travel 62 feet farther than the horse at the rail at the mile distance over a half-mile track.

•Is driving dangerous? To a certain extent. Harness racing requires both speed and the ability to make quick decisions.

•Why do some horses have bandages on their legs? For many of the same reasons as human athletes...to help support their legs and provide protection from injury.

•What is the colored roll worn on the face of some horses? It's called a shadow roll and it's made of sheepskin. It cuts off the horses's view of the track at his feet to keep him from shying or trying to jump over shadows and other objects.

The Great Frederick Fair maintains a year-round harness training facility at its fairgrounds.