Third day of horse racing planned

Kalispell will have three days of horse racing in August, now that a day of stake races has been added in advance of the two days of racing planned during the Northwest Montana Fair.

Janis Schoepf, Kalispell Race Meet event coordinator, said her group added a slate of races at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Friday, Aug. 12.

Race officials had previously had scheduled two afternoons of racing Aug. 19 and 20 during the fair.

The Aug. 12 races likely will include security and derby stake races, she said. The finals for those races then run the following weekend during the fair. Schoepf was able to add the day after races were canceled in Missoula, opening up a day in competitors’ schedules.

Several races in Washington were canceled this year, too, she said, so people are looking for new race sites and finding Kalispell in that search.

“Western Montana is very appealing to them when they’ve lost their races,” Schoepf said.

Schoepf is excited about boosting horse competition in the Flathead. Horse racing had been a staple in the county for years, but in 2006 the local races were canceled. Last summer, races returned to the fair.

“We would love to bring back two full weekends of racing in future years,” she said. “It all depends on what Missoula and Great Falls do.”

It’s too early to know how many competitors will be in Kalispell for this summer’s races, Schoepf said. But her goal is high.

“Last year we filled the barn area on the back side,” she said. “There are a couple hundred stalls there. My goal is to have to worry about filling those and having to bring in portable stalls this year.”

Many of the race details don’t come together until the final two weeks before the event, she said. “That’s a very hectic time.”

The races are genuine economic development, she says. Most of the competitors will spend a full week in town. People who race horses rarely come in with a single horse and spend just one day on site, Schoepf said.

Rather, they usually arrive early to train so the horses get to know the track. Most people travel with their entire stable. Schoepf, for example, takes nine horses when she’s racing.

This week in Idaho Falls where Schoepf is racing, one racer brought 60 horses with him.

While in town, those owners spend money on food, fuel, lodging and feed for their horses. Often they use the services of local veterinarians and farriers.

And, in August, plenty of people will do their school shopping when they’re in Kalispell, too, she said.

Post time for the fair races has been moved up to 12:30 p.m., she said. The exact starting time for the Aug. 12 races hasn’t been finalized, but she expects those races to begin around 4 p.m.

Spectators can expect to see between eight and 10 races a day. Each race has a maximum of eight entrants. If the schedule is full, that means 80 horses will race a day, she said. She’s optimistic that she easily will fill 65 slots per day. 

Admission to the races is $3 a person, she said. Adults can essentially bet any amounts they want on the races.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.