GREENVILLE — Recent heavy rains may have left the horse arena at the Great Darke County Fairgrounds wet and muddy, but Jesse Peters is confident a determined group of volunteers will do everything possible to have it ready for fair week.
Peters, who maintains the horse arena year-round, said he and others involved in the horse program are prepared to tackle the challenging conditions rather than let the weather dampen their enthusiasm.
“We are going to do our absolute best to get it ready,” Peters said.
Throughout the year, Peters serves as a link between the 4-H horse committee and the Darke County Fair Board while handling a variety of maintenance jobs at the arena.
“My role with the horse barn is to take care of the arena and prepare it for 4-H meetings throughout the year,” Peters said. “To work the arena, fix boards, replace boards, and just kind of a go-between with the 4-H horse committee and the fair board.”
Peters described himself as a “jack of all trades” when it comes to keeping the facility ready for the young people who use it.
“I just kind of get anything done that needs done,” he said.
Once fair week arrives, responsibility for the arena shifts to Kyle Schlechty and his team, who oversee arena operations during the fair. Peters resumes his regular maintenance responsibilities once the fair is over.
This year’s transition comes with an added challenge after days of rain saturated the fairgrounds.
Despite concerns that the arena may not have enough time to dry, Peters said there are options available to make the facility usable.
“Kyle Schlechty and I are going to be putting our heads together to try to get as much water mitigated as possible,” Peters said.
They won’t be working alone. Peters said excavation equipment and crews associated with members of the horse community are prepared to help if needed.
“We’ve also got some different excavators that are part of the horse community,” Peters said. “Their excavation crew is ready to jump in and support us in any way possible.”
With improving weather, Peters believes there will be enough time to address the wet surface. If necessary, crews can remove the worst of the saturated material to reach firmer footing underneath.
“I think the weather is going to be good enough that it’s going to allow us to, if we need to, move the top layer of mush and get down to the stuff that’s good underneath it,” Peters said. “I think we’re going to be good to go.”
While crews concentrate on getting the arena ready for this year’s fair, Peters also has reason to celebrate progress toward a long-term improvement to the horse facility.
The “Raise the Roof” campaign has reached an important milestone, with $107,000 raised or acquired toward the effort.
“We have, up to this point, raised and acquired $107,000,” Peters said.
The campaign needed to reach a minimum of $100,000 before organizers could move forward with the next stage of fundraising. Having surpassed that mark, Peters said the group can now pursue grants and seek larger contributions from area businesses.
“We needed a minimum of $100,000, so now we’re ready to start going after grants and a lot of local businesses to support us in bigger ways,” Peters said.
The campaign’s success so far reflects the support of the horse community and gives organizers momentum as they seek additional funding.
“We’ll be looking for the community and the state of Ohio to step up in the biggest ways they possibly can,” Peters said.
For now, the immediate focus remains on the arena and making sure 4-H members and their horses have a place ready for them during the Great Darke County Fair.
After a difficult stretch of wet weather, Peters’ message is one of confidence rather than concern: The volunteers, fair officials and horse community are prepared to work together and do what needs to be done.
“I think we’re going to be good to go,” Peters said.
