Photo: Off to the races

Captioned only as “Horse Race,” this photo from September 1919 shows four horseback riders, thought to be local Native Americans, racing at the County Fair and Roundup. Just as today, stadium sponsorship and advertising was prominent and a good source of revenue for the organizers. The lettering on the south end of the grandstands reads, “Ladies FINE Shoes/Stein Merc Co.” Until the advent of the Spanish Trails Fiesta in 1935, the county fair was the biggest annual event in Durango. Horse racing and rodeo were two of the biggest draws, as evidenced by the full grandstand. Read more local history at durangoherald.com/westishistory.<br><br>Ed Horvat for The Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org