The New Hampshire city of Rochester, with a population veering towards 30,000, is located in Strafford County and encompasses the villages of East Rochester, North Rochester and Gonic. The area is known for its agricultural heritage and was once the home of the Abenaki Indians who fished, hunted and farmed for a living. The city is also home to the annual Rochester Fair, organised by the Rochester Agricultural and Mechanical Association, which contained within its programme a series of horse race meetings. The inaugural meeting took place on the 4 furlong oval track on 25th September 1934 and, over time, offered Standardbred and harness racing, but then concentrated on a programme solely of harness races. Traditionally racing was spread throughout the 2 week period of the Fair, although the highlights, especially the New Hampshire Sire Stakes, tended to occur on Saturdays when attendance was at is highest. Racing came to an end on 23rd September 2007, although after a break of more than 10 years, an effort was being made in 2018 to reinstate racing into the programme. |
