Annual Holiday Concert at the Harness Racing Museum

Mark your calendar for Thursday, December 10^th at 7:30 p.m. for the annual Holiday Concert at the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame. This museum members’ benefit event will be held in the Museum’s William R. Haughton Memorial Hall. The Goshen High School’s Varsity Choir, Jazz Voices, and Saxophone Ensemble will return for the occasion. We are also delighted to welcome the After Hours Quartet of the Evergreen Chapter of Sweet Adelines International, who will lead our lively audience in the concert’s annual version of "The 12 Days of Christmas."

Museum member Edie Haughney, Merrill Lynch Senior Financial Advisor together with Rose & Anatoly Shevchuk of Goshen Gourmet will be providing a wonderful holiday dessert table for the enjoyment of all. Arrive early to see our holiday tree filled with horsy ornaments, tour the museum with its festive halls and stalls, and check out the new exhibits that have been installed since last year’s concert.

Admission of $3.00 per person is waived for members. Non-members who bring a toy for the Marines’ “Toys for Tots” program receive a $1.00 admission discount! As seating is limited we recommend making reservations as soon as possible by calling Joanne Young at (845) 294-6330.

A visit to the museum is never complete without a stop at the Winner’s Circle Gift Shop for the perfect holiday gift. Our gift to you is a 10% discount on purchases to shoppers and concert-goers prior to the musical program.

If you are unable to attend the concert a Marine Corps Toy Drop Box is located in the Museum’s main lobby and toys can be brought in from now until Sunday, December 20 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. The US Marine Corps Reserve "Toys for Tots" program distributes toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community. Please go to www.toysfortots.org for a location near you and help make a child happy this holiday season.

Accepting Employers For Equine Job Fair

Are you an employer in the horse world looking for new employees? Whether you are looking for grooms, managers and everything in-between, we encourage you to sign up for a booth at the Equine Job Fair!

The Harness Racing Museum and US Trotting Association will hold the second annual Equine Job Fair on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 from 5 to 9 pm at the Museum, 240 Main Street, Goshen, New York.

The event is free and open to anyone seeking a job in the horse world. Employers are expected to include breeding farms, racing stables and similar employers.

Participating employers can be seeking to fill current or future openings for any kind of job, “hands on” or administrative. They must be members of either the US Trotting Association or the Harness Racing Museum.

For more information or to save an employer’s spot, contact Katie Vermilyea at the Museum at 845-294-6330 or email education@harnessmuseum.com.

November Workshop - A Standardbred Smorgasbord

A Standardbred Smorgasbord

Children’s Workshop

Saturday, November 14, 2009

10:30 AM to 12:00 Noon

at the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame

Goshen, NY – Stop by the Harness Racing Museum on Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 10:30 AM to 12 noon as we give thanks to our furry and feathered friends! Sample the delights at our Standardbred Thanksgiving table and learn what foods both horses and humans like to eat. Gobble up some fun as we create turkey centerpieces using foam and flowerpots for your Thanksgiving celebration. Keep your horse well fed with our Hungry, Hungry Horses Scavenger Hunt. Trot to the winner’s circle with a ride on the 3-D Harness Racing Simulator! The cost of the program is $5.00/child with one accompanying adult admitted free. This program is appropriate for children ages 3-11. Reservations are required; please call us at (845) 294-6330 for further information.

Racing Breeds Adoption Fair This Saturday

The Racing Breeds Adoption Fair, to be held Saturday, October 17 in Goshen, New York is just days away and the lineup of horses provides something for everyone. The adoption fair, featuring race horses, greyhounds and barn cat prospects will be held at the Harness Racing Museum and adjacent Historic Track, 240 Main Street in Goshen, from noon to 3 pm, rain or shine.

About a dozen Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds, ready for adoption, can be viewed by prospective adopters at the track. Visitors can learn more about the groups offering them for adoption at booths in the Museum. Both the Thoroughbred and Standardbred Retirement Foundations will send horses looking for a home, along with Equine Rescue Resource, located in Pine Bush, N.Y.

The horses include three seasoned trail horses, an unraced Arab, dressage prospects and horses who have been extensively handled and are ready to train to the discipline of the adopter’s choice. Two grey geldings are among the horses looking for a home, as well as two horses recovered from severe neglect and malnutrition, now healthy and ready for a second chance.

Joining the adoption fair will be greyhounds seeking a permanent home through Greyhound Rescue and Rehabilitation, of Cross River, N.Y. Since horse owners must also have a barn cat to keep rodents out of horse’s grain, the Goshen Animal Shelter will have cats in need of a job on display for potential adopters. The greyhounds and cats will be on hand to greet prospective adopters in the Museum, horses will be at adjacent Historic Track. All groups will have booths at the Museum.

Those who cannot adopt a horse, dog or cat, can find out about other ways to help the equine, canine and feline adoption groups, including volunteering, providing foster care or providing a donation.

There is no charge to attend the adoption fair. The Museum will donate a portion of the day’s gift shop proceeds to each of the groups in attendance. For more information, call 732-780-3700 or 732-616-6092.

October 2009 Children's Workshop

Trot to the Harness Racing Museum on Saturday, October 10, 2009 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon for some Halloween hijinks! Come in costume (if you wish) and take a guided tour through the Museum’s Haunted Stable. Then put your best hoof forward as we create some spooky sock puppets! Take part in a special Halloween Horseshoe Hunt complete with a sweet surprise. Always included is a ride on the 3-D Harness Racing Simulator!

The cost of the program is $5.00/child with one accompanying adult admitted free. This program is appropriate for children ages 3-11. Reservations are required; please call us at (845) 294-6330 for further information.

Meet the Staff

Recently, Katie Vermilyea, the Education Coordinator here at the Museum, was profiled on the College of St. Rose English Department Blog. Learn about her day-to-day responsibilities and her alma mater here.

Harness Racing Hits Newsstands!

Orange Magazine is the complimentary publication available throughout Orange County, NY that highlights the diverse people and towns that make it such a unique place to live. The October/November issue just hit our tourism information kiosk and we were very excited to see the feature article devoted to harness racing! Read about two drivers who, in the face of the tough economy, have turned to harness racing to provide them with new career opportunities. The article also features some great photographs of Goshen's Historic Track, located just behind the Museum!

Read an excerpt and explore images from the article on their website. You can pick up a copy of Orange Magazine at the Museum or tourist information kiosks around the county.