Readers React: What’s missing from the L.A. County fair: animals and horse races

To the editor: Whether experts are right or wrong about the tax-exempt status of the Los Angeles County Fair Assn., it is clear that it has abandoned any commitment to promoting or highlighting agricultural interests in the county or to giving urban residents any opportunity to observe or interact with farmers, ranchers or animals firsthand. (“Head of money-losing L.A. County Fair Assn. made nearly $900,000 in total compensation,” Nov. 3)

As a horse owner, I am a direct casualty of the fair’s anti-animal attitude. Not only has the fair terminated horse racing, in February it kicked out the race horses that were stabled, trained and raced there.

Hundreds of horses had to be moved, many people lost their jobs and some horse owners had to rethink the viability of staying in business.

How many kids in Pomona will ever get to see or touch a real race horse now? In the era of California Chrome and American Pharaoh, you would think the fair would be proud to house one of the declining number of live racing venues in the state.

It’s time to bring back the 4-H kids, the horses, the sheep and cattle, the rabbits and poultry, the giant pumpkins and rows of corn, the quilts and the weavings and all the things that actually make a county fair a county fair.

Holly Beckner, Claremont

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