By Madi Kregel, OCJ field reporter
The last year certainly made life challenging for anyone trying to plan events, and, as a result, 2020 created coutless challenges for any industries that depend on those events for financial viability. The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association (OHHA) has around 35,000 members, with around 65 different venues for racing. The majority of those venues are county and independent fairs. So like many during the shutdown in March, the OHHA and horse breeders were left scrambling to find answers.
Steve Bateson, President of the OHHA said going into the pandemic felt like “stepping into the twilight zone” after going from a weekly racing schedule to a complete stop.