No More Coon Chase?

Just heard the news that the owners of the Kenton Nationals are calling it quits. They said they can't make the profit they need? They are scared of the economy? They were not afraid a few years back when they cut out all the local non profits from selling out there, they couldn't make enough money letting area orginizations do the work (running the kitchen, selling beer & pop, etc),and then give them the lions share of the profit. So They contracted with several vendors from the Columbus and farther away areas to come in and sell so they could make a little more. The community has helped support that event for years. And now they are afraid they might not make quite as much profit this year so they fold? Thanks for helping out by throwing in the towel, Kenton and Hardin county residents and business don't need the revenue your event brought in during that week. Pillars of the community, you are.

I agree with everyone in hardin county benefits from the coon chase now since the are not making any money,now you are going to screw the rest of the county.

This went WAY, WAY, WAY deeper than money.

How ironic! The have been milking the cash cow for ywears & now it is going to bea cow pasture!

I too believe this probably goes deeper than money, although I do agree that the Ross Family has gotten very greedy the past 5 or so years.

Was there a rift in the family? Was money mis-spent? Insurance Companies balk at insuring the event?

Since we had been lot paying members since 1983, I think we deserve a little more of an explanation than "current economic conditions warrant us closing". I was planning on paying for my lot this year, just like any other...

One of the rosses is building a new house, don't want to drive down the property value in the area.

Hope it's just one off year but I guess we'll see.
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone over the last couple of years who made their way to "the corner" and tried our bbq pulled pork, chicken halves, and wings.
We'll miss shooting the breeze with all of you this fall.
With any luck, we can pick up where we left off in 2010.
Thanks,
T Bone

Maybe 'Hardin County Coon Hunters' can take it back over and return to the Fair grounds?

Do you all know that they made Millions of dollars every year off that!!!?? They dont need you any more!

Hey webus69. What is this about the " Hardin Co. Coon Hunters". Why not promote the event somewhere else? Fair grounds or some other field and have an event anyway. To hell with the Ross's.
I haven't been going to Kenton as long as some but my son and I have gone the last 10+ yrs..

Bert G

Any one know of a farmer we could rent a field from and go and put on a flea market event of our own in honor of all the coon dog folks,vendors and participants. We could still ahve a good time.

Bert G

There is a new flea market set up in Lima, Ohio same weekend. Is called Max's Dog water race and flea market, going to be very similar to Kenton Nationals. At Allen County Fairgrounds

Look whats going on in Lima, Max's Dog water race and swap meet. ALL that money that would have come into Hardin County and its residents is GONE. Thanks ROSS family. You are scum, you screwed over all of us. Why dont you sell your property and CRAWL out like the trash you are. We wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire. Have a good life.

I heard that some law was passed about the selling of guns, had something to do with only a certain % of all vendors could sell guns and the % of gun dealers was higher that the % of just flea marketers. So they lost a bunch of vendors due to this law, so it wouldn't have been profitable for the owners to try and just run "Flea Market" items without the gun dealers.

Thats Bull Crap, you must be a friend of the family or kin.

Probably kin because Kenton has a bunch of inbreds.

You know.... there were some bad accidents at the coon chase a few years ago, where some people were killed due to drunk jack asses on golf carts and thank god they got rid off al those god d***, people on lawn mowers that would drive thier lazy ass all over the place and practicly run people over.

When you are talking about that kind of liability it would only take one law suit to make you pause and ask if exposing yourself to that kind of liability is worth it.

I hope the Coon Chases return next year but I hope its better regulated

Been to the Allen Co. Fairgrounds to check out Max's
Water Dog Races/Flea Market. Talked & listened. Most of the vendors I talked to liked the facilities
and planned on coming back next year. Who knows, maybe another 50 year run, like Kenton had.

China huh, we cannot accept your opinion due to "conflict of interest". We race, you eat em. WTF?

McCoys and Hatfields wrote:

Probably kin because Kenton has a bunch of inbreds.