by Crystal Murdock
A Dec. 14 article titled “Hold Your Horses” ignited community support for horse racing fans, wanting to know answers about the current and future state of Horsing racing in Billings. June Eaton, while walking in the area, noticed guard rail being removed from the MetraPark track area shortly after the article came out and wanted to express her concerns. June wrote a a letter to the editor stating “I invite you, the public to go drive or walk through your fairgrounds and see the sad state. Then decided if you should pay to tear down and rebuild new of the existing conditions there will have the same results again. Someone needs to be held accountable!”
Abatement is being completed at MetraPark’s old dilapidated Horse racing office building because of asbestos in the tile floor and in the glazing of the exterior windows. SafeTech, Inc. of Billings completed abatement Wednesday in order to prep the building for Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Training. A “Danger” notice is posted on the front door while crews work on the building. (Photo Jonathan McNiven)
Bill Dutcher, Manager of MetraPark, said that they are in the process of selling “the outside guard rail” that surrounds the track for scrap metal. The railing was purchased and put into place years ago for the World of Outlaws which held events at Metra Park in 1999, 2000 and 2002. The railing only served motor sports and has nothing to do with horse racing.
The Indian Relay event put up their own horse railing inside the metal railing for their events. The Indian Relays were held a couple of years at Metra Park and then decided to move the event to Washington.
Dutcher said that there are currently no plan for horseracing but the dirt and track are still in place and there are no plans to change anything. click here to read the story
