Hazel Park Research Paper

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Riding horseback in Hazel Park Every morning in Hazel Park, the clomping of horses’ hooves is heard as they gallop along a sandy track at Ten Mile and Dequinder. Drivers approaching the intersection are treated to a pastoral scene of charging thoroughbreds usually found only on rural farms or estates. But in this suburban city, it’s as common as the daily specials at the Country Boy Restaurant. Since 1949, the Detroit border town has been home to the Hazel Park Raceway and many generations of horses. For some Hazel Park residents, the track has provided not only a living, but also a means of keeping a little bit of the countryside in the city. Seventy-three-year-old Ron Houghton has been riding horses since he was kindergartener growing up in Cowtown, Colorado. The horseman currently houses five of his steeds, including one who is a grandson of Secretariat, in the stables at the track. …show more content…

“I’m out here for the safety of the riders. If anybody gets in trouble, I go and try to help them. I catch the horses when they get loose,” Houghton said. “And, I make sure the horses get to the gate in time and that nobody gets into trouble there.” “I’m on horseback eight hours a day on race days, and on dark days, it’s four hours.” In 1980 when Houghton was riding horses as a jockey, he moved his family to Hazel Park so they could establish some roots in a hometown. The track offered steady employment and he could walk to work. “They had 240 days of racing, and I didn’t have to go much of anyplace else,” he said. “We didn’t have to move the kids to different schools.” In addition to the neighborhood being close to work, Houghton had an immediate connection with the suburban

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