The Delaware All Horse Parade

The Delaware All-Horse Parade is the seventh of this month. That’s tomorrow!!! This parade is spectacular! I probably don’t need to take any pictures because I’ve taken pictures every year. I probably know the horses! I should probably start at the beginning. My husband and I met in 1981. He came in to the bar where I was working after the Little Brown Jug and asked me out. We noticed how much alike we were, started dating and the rest is history. We haven’t missed a Little Brown Jug since 1982. We had our son in June of 1989 and he hasn’t missed a Jug since he was born! The Little Brown Jug is a part of the triple-crown for standard bred horses. These are the kind of horses that pull a cart that has a driver. There is a fever for many in Delaware as the fair comes along and the Little Brown Jug takes place. It’s historical and traditional for us. For the past several years, we’ve had front row seats! We have a blast all week. We bet on horses and re-unite with folks we haven’t seen in weeks or months or years. That Thursday, in Delaware, is a holiday. School is out. Businesses close at noon. I get my annual “track” tan and we spend every dime we can spend in order to win it big. It’s just wonderful. This past year, we lost one of our friends that we usually see at the Little Brown Jug every year. That is the kind of place it is. There’s cohesiveness about the town. We all grew up in Delaware. We all meet at Dick Jackson’s camper and “place”. My sister Kay and I see people we grew up with. We see people we haven’t seen since high school. We see people with their new wives. I wish I had my camera for this year. This is why I take pictures. I love all the people we meet. I love taking pictures of the horses. I am so mad that someone stole my camera. But I will be alright for this year,,,,I will be just fine. I will be able to be off on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this year. The races start on Sunday. It’ll be so fun to see the races, make a few dollars, spend a few dollars and see a few friends. I am looking forward to it.

So back to the parade. The All Horse Parade kicks off all the festivities of the Delaware County Fair. The Little Brown Jug is the final racing day of the week of the fair. It begins with the ending of the marathon. When you see the last runners coming down the street, you know that the horses are coming next. They will march into our view with the Mounted Deputies first. They'll be followed by square dancers in a wagon pulled by horses. There will be bands and clowns and Civil War heros. This will be a great beginning for the fair and races. This is my hometown.

Here are a couple of websites if you want to see this parade and learn more, www.littlebrownjug.com and www.delawarecountyfair.com. Enjoy!