Harness racing enjoyed a revival in Aiken on Saturday after an absence of more than a decade.
The sport wasn't part of the Aiken Triple Crown like it used to be, but that didn't seem to matter to the hundreds of people who turned out on a sunny afternoon to picnic and watch the trotters and pacers compete in the McGhees' Mile Standardbred Races.
"Today is so special; I'm ecstatic," said Sissy Brodie, who flashed a sparkling smile at everyone she met. "Because of the nostalgia, we need to bring back things like this."
The Aiken Harness Races were run for the last time at McGhees' Mile on Banks Mill Road in 2003. The following year, Pacers & Polo filled the hole left in the Triple Crown lineup, and that event became a fixture in the popular March series.
"I love polo," Brodie said, but she missed the Harness Races and so did other Aiken residents, who adored their family-friendly atmosphere.
For a long time, however, there weren't enough horses stabled at McGhees' Mile for its owners, Bruce and Janis McGhee, to think about offering standardbred racing there again. Then, in recent years, the track's equine population started to increase, and the couple began to consider the possibility.
This past January, Janis McGhee announced that the McGhees' Mile Standardbred Races would be held March 28.
"When I heard about it, I went out to the track in the pouring rain to make sure that I could buy a railside parking spot," Carolyn Beeler said.
"I moved here 11 years ago, so I missed the last of the Aiken Harness Races. Everybody told me that it had been such a fun day, and I wanted to see what it was like."
Beeler brought her husband, DeWitt, and her daughter, Jordan to the McGhees' Mile Standardbred Races. She also invited her friends, John and Jennifer Swegle to come along.
"The horses are gorgeous, the track is beautiful and the people are great," Beeler said. "We've had a wonderful day."
Jennifer Swegle agreed.
"I love everything about it," she said. "I love the time of year, I love the venue, I love the horses and I love the relaxed atmosphere."
There were eight races on the card. Seven were for trotters, and one was for pacers.
Broken Brokers Ltd.'s Flashy Cash won the main event, the Ken Hardin Memorial Open. Driven by Eddie McDevitt, the 5-year-old gelding trotted a mile in 2:00 3/5.
"He's just an awesome horse," said Flashy Cash's trainer, Lee Newcomer. "He's got guts, and he wants to race. When horses come at him, he's ready to go."
Janis McGhee was pleased with how the day went and estimated that nearly 1,000 spectators showed up.
"I'm happy," she said. "I couldn't have asked for anything more. There were some wrinkles, but those can be ironed out. We'll do this again next year, that's for sure."
Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the newspaper since January 2013. A native of Concord, N.C., she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.