Hawkinsville has long been known for its roots in harness racing — a sport where drivers ride in a race bike pulled by a Standardbred horse wearing a harness.
HAWKINSVILLE, Ga. — The Hawkinsville Harness Festival returns this weekend, bringing horse racing, live music and family entertainment to Central Georgia.
The festival kicks off Friday with a full lineup of events, including harness racing, concerts, food and craft vendors, and a Wild West show.
Festival organizer Aaron Colley says Hawkinsville has long been known for its roots in harness racing — a sport where drivers ride in a race bike pulled by a Standardbred horse wearing a harness. Those horses can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
Colley says the connection between the horse and driver– along with the speed– is what draws people in.
“The horse and the driver become one and there is speed and a little bit of danger, so it’s a pretty exciting sport, and there’s a lot of money invested in these horses,” he said.
While harness racing is more common in northern states, Hawkinsville is the only place in Central Georgia where both training and racing take place.
Herman Hagerman is one of the drivers training this week. He plans to compete Saturday, hoping to qualify during the festival races.
He took a ride with 13WMAZ reporter Ellie Millikan around the track to demonstrate how the sport works and gave her a closer look at the pace and precision involved.
For Lisa Martin and her father, Clarence Martin, the sport is part of everyday life.
“I’m 68, was born and raised in it,” Clarence said. “So, this is all I’ve ever done. I’ve never really had a job other than horses.”
The family keeps horses at a farm in Pennsylvania and spends part of the year in Hawkinsville for training and racing. Lisa Martin says she grew up traveling between the two.
“Would go to school here when I was a little girl. My parents would take me out of school for the winter and I would go to school in Hawkinsville,” she said.
Now, she works alongside her parents preparing horses for competition. The family arrived in mid-November and plans to stay through the Monday after Easter. After a seasonal break, the horses are back in training ahead of Saturday’s qualifying races.
Colley, who has been involved in harness racing for about 25 years, now runs both the festival and the Hawkinsville Training Center. He also owns horses that compete in races.
“The horses — it just gets in your blood,” Colley said. “I’ve tried to get out a couple of times, but I always end up back in the business. The horses have amazing personalities.”
The festival begins Friday at 5 p.m. and starts again on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Organizers encourage attendees to bring lawn chairs for the weekend’s events.