Off to the Races 🏁

By Editor | June 11, 2023 |

SUNDAY June 11, 2023

“I don’t think I’m a celebrity. I’m just a guy from East Texas who loves cars and airplanes”

Carroll Shelby

Visitors to Gregg County are likely to catch the Great Texas Balloon Race (GTBR) in the skies this week. The tradition of more than four decades draws thousands to Longview each year. Our feature in this issue rounds up the fun things happening at the event — from balloon glows to live music.

Two other articles in this issue discuss the theme of humans and horses. Ann Bush’s story explains “Why Texans Love Their Horses,” and Linda Rowland of the Bowery Book Club reviews the novel Horse by Geraldine Brooks.

This issue is big on racing but there’s no competition for reading it — enjoy it at any pace you like. — Lisa Tang

For more stories about lifestyle, entertainment, and cultural events in the region visit the County Line eMagazine. Check out the May/June eEdition for stories and features and visit our calendar and Live Music sections. It’s all online in County Line Magazine.

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Four Winds Steakhouse near Wills Point is located on an 1,100 acre ranch making it a perfect destination dining getaway. Its appetizer menu alone is reason to make a reservation. Photo by Ine Burke. READ MORE.

FEATURE

Balloon Capital of Texas Hosts Two Big Races

The world-class Great Texas Balloon Race & Festival (GTBR) returns to the Longview Convention Complex Friday, June 16, to Sunday, June 18. A special addition this year is the US National Hot Air Balloon Championship beginning at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, June 12.

The national championship race continues through the end of the week and is held concurrently with GTBR on June 16, 17, and 18, as the two races combine and fly simultaneously over Longview and parts of Gregg County.

Tex Ritter and Dorothy Fay Southworth Started a Legacy

From 1938 to 1940, the famous singing cowboy Tex Ritter made four movies with a young actress named Dorothy Fay from Prescott, Arizona: Song of the Buckaroo, Sundown on the Prairie, Rollin’ Westward, and Rainbow Over the Range. Tex and Dorothy Fay Southworth married June 14, 1941. The couple started a legacy of talented entertainers that endures to this day. READ MORE.

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

Why Texans Love Their Horses

There are an estimated 767,000 horses in Texas according to a September 2022 study by internet resource AZ Animals. It’s no surprise that Texas ranks No. 1 in the nation for having the most horses.

Historical records show there were no horses in North America when European settlers began to colonize the continent in the early 15th century. However, horses’ fossils have been found around North America. The ancient horse was a much different creature that roamed beside mammoths and mastodons feeding on megafauna. They all disappeared along with their food source millions of years ago. How horses returned to Texas is an interesting story. READ MORE.

LITERARY

Novel Weaves Stories of Famous Horse

Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism. Linda Rowland reviews the book and states all that she enjoyed about diving in to the author’s weaving together the worlds of horse racing and art. READ MORE.