John Campbell's Classic Harness Racing

From the tube...

".. a game which truly simulates real harness racing. You control your horse's speed, decide when to make your move and make all of the other decisions. Your driving skill - not just luck - determines the outcome." The object is to drive your horse the farthest twice around the track.

Yes the game is packaged in a tube. The "board" is a piece of fabric backed printed vinyl, similar to a place mat. Players are assigned or pick a horse from a choice of 200 in the Stable book. Each horse has a movement number that is broken down into quarters (4 numbers), one for each quarter mile (track is a half mile). These quarter mile numbers are then reduced to 6 numbers, from 1 to 9. These 6 numbers are printed on cards. On his turn the player uses one card to move his horse. The move is modified by: spaces that count as two, variable length lanes in the curves, swaping cards with the draw pile without changing the movement #, holding back a card till the next quarter mile, blocking another from holding back a card, chance cards at the start and on the home stretch, chance dice roll is required to pass thru a space directly in front of another horse. It is recommended to have a race secretary. This person should be a fair minded person who will set up and referee the race.

The players try to use all of their movement while causing others to waste movement. This player has observed that it is easy for all of the players to use all of their movement with only 6 horses in the race. All of the movement robbing mechanisms are easily avoided with 6 horses. The race is then determined by the movement number combined with the Start and Stretch chance cards. The use of 12 horses makes a much more interesting game. With 12 horses the movement robbing mechanisms can not be totally avoided.

John Campbell is a Hall of Fame driver (not rider) that holds many of the sport's records. John Campbell did not design the game but has endorsed it. The 1989 instructions invite players to a yearly tournament where the championship is decided by playing against John Campbell.

The instructions promote another game, "Classic Thoroughbred Racing" which is not currently in the BGG database.