Red Willow County, Horse Capital of Nebraska

Monday, October 21, 2002
Walt Sehnert

Today, one does not automatically think of Red Willow County as a horsebreeding region, but early in the last century the breeding of fine racing horses was a very important industry in our county.

Indeed, two of the finest race horses ever foaled in Nebraska, Indianola, from the Plourd Stables, and Kent Bumpas, from the Kay Stables, came out of Red Willow County. Though these two horses were winning races and establishing records at the same time, the two never raced against one another.

Elmer Kay was the son of Dr. Z.L. Kay, one of McCook's pioneer medical men. He was born in Illinois in 1878, but came with his family to McCook in 1884, when his father was appointed to the post of Burlington Physician.

He began school in McCook and was the first person ever to complete the full course, from first grade through high school in the McCook system. He played halfback on McCook's first football team, and was a member of McCook's first orchestra and first band.

Following graduation from high school in 1895, Elmer lived in Joplin, Mo., where his father practiced medicine for a short time before returning to McCook. In Joplin, Elmer served as a bookkeeper and ore buyer for the Pritcher Lead Co. Later, after his marriage to Zylpha Gunter, he worked as cashier, paymaster and auditor for the Wells Fargo Express Co. in Chicago.

In 1907 Elmer and his bride returned to McCook where he took on the duties of Manager for the McCook Commercial Hotel, as well as Manager of the old "Burlington Eating House."

In 1912, he ran for public office for the first time and was elected Clerk of the District Court, a position he held until his death in 1943. But this was just his first venture into elected public and service oriented positions. He later also held the offices of U.S. Commissioner and Clerk of the Federal District Court.

Elmer Kay was active in many of McCook's organizations. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the McCook Elks' Lodge. He followed his father in serving as a member of the County Sanity Board. He was active in the McCook Chamber of Commerce and for a time served as the Managing Secretary of that group. He was a pillar in the County Republican organization. After World War II began, he served as the local leader of the County Civil Defense Organization. But in 1920, he became Secretary and Manager of the Red Willow County Fair Association, and it is in this position that he is most commonly identified. Mr. Kay was instrumental in almost every aspect of fair business -- the planning, building, and financing of every building on the fairgrounds. He personally supervised the layout of the grounds and a new racetrack, which was to be the premier attraction of the Red Willow County Fair, at the location of the present fairgrounds.

Horse racing had always been popular in the county. Along with foot races, wrestling and boxing matches, racing of horses was an important diversion for the early pioneers. In the early days there was a horse-racing track at the old fairgrounds, south of the tracks in the vicinity of East 6th St. It is said that "high rollers" from Denver regularly attended these meets, and added much "excitement" to the event.

Whether it was Kay's interest in horses that led to his work with the County Fair, or the other way around, we can't be sure, but it is a certainty that he spent the rest of his life promoting harness racing -- and the Red Willow County Fair. In 1922, two years after Elmer Kay became manager of the County Fair Board, the Fair Board, along with the McCook Elks' Club, put on a spectacular three-day race card that was said to propel harness (trotting) horse racing to a popularity that would last well into the 1930s.

In an interview with Harry Strunk of the McCook Gazette concerning the upcoming, 1922, racing meet, Elmer Kay said, "McCook is going to have the biggest and finest exhibition of horse racing in her history, despite the reputation of having annually one of the best racing meets in this part of the state." Horses were coming from far distances. Many of the finest animals were on their way between Omaha and Denver. Kay added, "We're going to give them the best exhibition of horse racing that has ever been seen in this part of the state. There will be 10 races a day, and every race a RACE, with no monkey business. Every driver is going to push the lines in every race if I have anything to say about it."

The opportunity for Pari-mutuel betting at the event had been advertised, and Strunk asked Kay about betting at the fair. Kay's reply, "Better bring a big bankroll, pardner, if you want to find out about the pari-mutuels." Strunk decided to not pursue the matter.

Seating for 3,500 had been prepared for the races and the boxing matches that were to follow.

Unfortunately, rain dampened the races and the boxing matches were postponed till the next day.

Nevertheless, harness racing had taken hold in Southwest Nebraska. Among the local horses that ran (trotted) that day were Paddy P., owned by A. Campbell, Curtis; The Inclusive and Iokan, owned by John Harrison, Indianola; Billy Breeze and Delphleto, owned by Elmer Kay; Vivandierre, owned by Elmer Kay and John Kelley, McCook.

So, in the first third of the last century, Red Willow County was a hotbed of racing, regular horse racing and harness (trotting) racing, largely thanks to two men.

Dr. William Plourd bred fine race-horses at the Plourd Stables in Indianola and took them to races in every section of the United States as well as Canada and Mexico. In 19s4, his finest horse, Indianola, was badly injured during a racing meet in Mexico, and had to be destroyed. His remains were buried in the infield area of the Don Morez, Mexico track.

During this same period, Elmer Kay was breeding fine harness racing (trotting) horses in McCook. His skill as a breeder and trainer of harness horses was well known, and led to acclaim for McCook, as a harness racing center.

His finest horse, Kent Bumpas, amassed a good many records at tracks throughout the Midwest. When Kent Bumpas died, like Plourd's horse, Indianola, he too, was buried inside a race-track oval -- at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. For many years there was a granite stone over the grave, with the name, age, and some of the track records he achieved. This was a fitting tribute, not only to this magnificent horse, but also to Elmer Kay, his distinguished owner, the man who had done so much for horse racing and the Red Willow County Fair. -- Sources: Trails West by Robert Ray and Lois Rutledge. McCook Gazette Centennial Edition, 1881-1981.

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