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Ted Barhorst and Helen Barhorst, the wife of the late George Barhorst, pose with the brothers' Hall of Fame plaques and the extended Barhorst family on Aug. 3.
FORT LORAMIE - It's been nearly a century since the Barhorst family of Fort Loramie imported their first Belgian stallion.
Since then, the family has created a multi-generational legacy within the draft horse industry by constantly improving their herd and winning countless awards at various fairs across the country.
Their legacy is so great that second generation family members Ted Barhorst and his late brother, George, were inducted into the Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame on Aug. 3.
The family started raising registered Belgian draft horses in 1926, when Ted and George's father, Urban, and their uncle Joe imported the family's first stallions from Belgium.
The family received a nomination into the Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame from Ohio State Fair Draft Horse Superintendent Ron Mack in 2019. However, because of the COVID pandemic they were not inducted until earlier this month.
In his nomination, Mack said the Barhorsts have always strived to improve their herd.
"Ted and his brother, George, continue to follow in their father and uncle's foot steps today," he wrote. "Ted's father and uncle began coming to the Ohio State Fair in the 1930s."
Over the years, the family won countless awards in a rainbow of colors, Mack wrote in his nomination. Ted was also honored for 50 years at the Ohio State Fair.
George died in July 2021 after being nominated.
Ted said he still remembers how his family used to back the truck into the barn to unload all the hay and straw for the fair.
The family briefly stopped showing at fairs due to uncle Joe's death in 1959 but later returned to show rings in 1974. The family hasn't missed an Ohio State Fair since.
"They've always had horses on the farm," George's son, Don, said. "(We) enjoy the competition side of the business, knowing different people and getting horses out in the public so we can sell them."
In addition to showing horses, the family is also in the breeding business and raises the animals all year long.
At the induction ceremony earlier this month, Ted, George's wife, Helen, and their children were presented with plaques by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
Now in their fourth generation, the Barhorst family shows horses at about five events a year during the summer, including the Preble and Darke county fairs.
This year the family brought five Belgian draft horses to the state fair and returned home with 14 ribbons.
"It was a big honor," Don said. "I mean, the governor was there and gave us the award. I think this is the biggest award you can get at the state fair. It's something we grew up with and were never without a Belgian horse."
