The coronavirus shutdown has put the brakes on life for many folks, but there won’t be anything slow about the horse races coming up in nearby Gillespie County.

Over the course of four weekends--two in July and two in August--the Gillespie County Fair & Festival Association will be holding its annual Thoroughbred and quarter horse races.

Horse racing is an experience for all your senses.

“What people love about horse racing is the thrill of seeing them run, hearing the thundering of hooves down the track, and smelling the dirt that’s flying by as they run,” said Shannon Cobb, GCFFA assistant office manager. “It’s watching a live race outside in the sun with friends and a cold drink. Betting just makes things more exciting.”

At the horse races, the summer air just about vibrates with expectation.

“People will feed off each other’s energy,” Cobb said.

The horse races are a tradition for folks in the region.

“There’s been some form of horse racing at the fairgrounds since the beginning,” she said. “We’ve been running pari-mutuel races since that kind of betting was legalized in 1991. It’s part of our history that we like to celebrate each summer.”

Some people have a preference for watching Thoroughbreds or quarter horses, but many others like them both.

A quarter horse race lasts seconds while Thoroughbred races go on for minutes.

“Thoroughbreds tend to be a slower out of the gate than quarter horses, but they can run longer distances, around 5-6 furlongs,” she said. (A furlong is 1/8th of a mile.) “Quarter horses tend to be faster and run shorter races. Some can run pretty well in distance races also.”

Many of the quarter horses you see on the track are young, 2-3 years old, but quite eager.

“They like to get out of the gate quickly and sprint.”

Of course, even in the midst of all the festivities, COVID-19 lurks in the background and the Gillespie County fairgrounds have not been immune.

“The shutdown mostly impacted people who rented the grounds from us and then not being able to hold their events,” Cobb said. “Most have been rescheduled; but in the meantime, it’s taken a toll on us through a loss of income.”

The GCFFA has canceled only one of its events, Night in Old Fredericksburg. Still a go are the BBQ and chili cook-offs and goat roping but there won’t be any entertainment those evenings.

“The rest of our events are still planned to happen as usual.”

You’ll see plenty of hand sanitizer around the grounds, as well as signs reminding folks of safety precautions, tape on the ground six feet apart to encourage social distancing, and grandstands marked with directions for entering and exiting.

COVID-19 is being taken seriously, but that’s only part of the solution, according to GCFFA’s board president.

“We’re doing what we can, but it’s up to our guests to follow safety guidelines,” said Jason Priess.