FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The Big Fresno Fair has announced that there will be no live horse racing at this year’s fair.
Officials made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, citing industry changes and other long-term challenges as the reason for the postponement of this year’s race.
Other factors include uncertainty about horse availability, increased financial risk and the lack of race management for the Northern California fair.
The California Racing Fair Authority voted unanimously in late January not to seek applications for summer racing.
A spokeswoman for the fair was not available for an interview, but in a statement, CEO Christine Estrada wrote:
“This difficult decision was made after careful consideration of the long-term financial health of The Big Fresno Fair…”
It also said “we remain committed to exploring all options in an evolving industry situation.”
Estrada said the fair will move to alternate venues in the grandstand.
The decision comes after a controversial season in which three horses were euthanized at the Big Fresno Fair due to illness or injury.
The deaths and other incidents across the state have drawn PETA’s attention.
“It should never be okay for a horse to die on a racetrack,” said Cathy Guillermo, PETA’s senior vice president.
The first death in 2024 is the first racehorse death at the Big Fresno Fair in nearly 20 years.
PETA said improvements have been made across the state to protect horses.
“California, fortunately, has been a leader in making changes to protect horses since 2019, when so many horses died,” Guillermo explained.
“They have a lower death rate than many other states, but they’re not at zero yet, and they really need to get to zero.”
