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The thunderstorm which hit this area last Thursday evening resulted in the loss or a barn and fourteen standardhred rac- ing horses. at the farm of Wil- liam and Ethel Fritz, located on the South Line Road, two miles "east of Walkerton. The Fritz house and garage were not. damaged, _ Their daughter. Margie first noticed smoke at 9:30 pm. and alerted the rest of the family. who were home. Mrs. Fritz could see {lama through the cracks between the barn boards. Her daughter Sheryl called the Fire Departments. Their daughter Susie and sons Randy, Dale and Brad helped 3 save 12 of the 28 race horses A‘Vhoused in the barn. Fire losses also Included 40 Y sob oi harnesses. horse blan- kets. harness bags. 8,000 bales of hay. $2,500 worth of straw . and. a bin of grain and cats. Most of the horses were owned by Eugene Forbes of RR. 4. Walkerton, for whom William "Bud" Frill works as a trainer and driver. ' . The Hanover Fire Department arrived first. but left after the Walkerton Fire Department came. Walker-tom‘s firemen were delayed due to the road closing at: the South Line bridge. which is being recon- structed. Water was available from the pool on the Mike Von Hatter: farm immediately to the west. The barn however was a total loss. The structure and its contents were covered by insurance. Some or the better horses 'in'ere saved. the first being . llGin-«11's Omaha. a good two. ‘ old pacing filly which won ‘ ' {our divisions of a $92,- Ontario Sires Stake at oville Raceway. Trudy g. E i E‘ a 3" a: E a I? lsn won ‘a Sires Stake. was whining Results In Loss 0i the others empiric the Int- were Pie N The Sky. an ln‘-'lla- tum class pan-r at the E 1m in. Armbm Adm». a lhrrrmerv uld pacing filly that pcrinrms in Sires Stakes and Speed} Bus. 3 trotting colt whirh earlier this year won a Sires Stake, Lost in thr- iire were .‘vlusw Beau. a good \‘ircs Stake pater several years ago. and Amhro Burns. a two year-old pacer that is a full brothuzr to Armbru Arctic, winner of the Summer time Series at Greenwood Race. wayi 1105!. of the other horses lost in the fire were unrated 2-year olds and some colts from Western Canada. Some of [he survlvme horses are being home ed at the Larry thkz- farm nearby and some at the Forbes farm just west of \Vatkerton It had luck runs in threi-= then this should he the last for Bud Fritz. Last April he uni clerwent several operauons after a horse kicked him In m an. domen. injurin: a ho"-_-l and causing a blood clot. 1151 at- tnr recovering from that his good colt. Daylon Thund» r. (llC‘El “hile in quL'ery to remove a nerve in a lrnnt leg. Ethel Fritz says they plan to rehmld a smaller barn \n'th thirty box stalls this fall. Flair for a pond at the front of the pro. perty will now br- postponed. They have the support of their nine children three of whom are married. while the other six are still at home Bud was racing again at Hanover. Saturr day night. The large barn. which mea sured 70x70 feet. was located on what for many years was known E the Flam-lie Tanner property. Subsequent owners were Mr. Tanner's son. Clarence. followâ€" ed by the late Wilfred Weber. father of Eldon Weber of Webâ€" er's Electric. Walkerton. Mr, Fritz purchased the farm 21 years ago. * Burn, 14 Horses Neor r own