Members of the Essex County horse racing community are making the final preparations for the return of harness racing to the area this weekend.
Four race cards will be at the Leamington Fairgrounds Sept. 22, Sept. 29, Oct. 6 and Oct. 13. Post time for each date is 1 p.m. and the purse is $10,000.
Tammy Wiper, from the Leamington Agriculture Society, says two dozen volunteers have been putting in countless hours of sweat equity to ensure a successful weekend.
“My phone's been ringing off the hook, it has been monumental," says Wiper.
That's music to Mark Williams' ears. He's been instrumental in landing provincial funding to help secure the races dates for this season.
“I'm just overwhelmed that its came to this," says Williams.
The Lakeshore Horse Racing Association received $64,000 from the Ontario government to put towards the four races.
Initially the group asked for 10 race dates, but that was not approved.
The climate of the horseracing industry in Essex County changed last year when the province pulled the slots from the Windsor Raceway on April 30, 2012. The track officially shut its doors on Aug. 31, 2012.
