KALISPELL (AP) -- The Flathead County Fair Board voted Thursday to suspended horse racing at this summer's Northwest Montana Fair, citing an increase in the cost of insurance to cover jockeys and other financial concerns.

The unanimous decision leaves open the possibility of renewing the races next year, board member Butch Woolard said.

Of the 30 attendees at Thursday's meeting, several asked the board to consider other alternatives, such as charging admission or allowing the sale of beer at races.

''I know it's a moral issue, and that the board has always said no to any beer, but I would implore you to consider it,'' Barry Smith said. ''If you say no to racing, I think you're penalizing the entire community. I'm asking you to give us one more chance. I'm not willing to see a tradition we've enjoyed for so many years go away because an insurance company decided to raise its rates.''

In February, Mather & Co., which insures all five Montana race tracks, announced it would increase the cost of insuring jockeys from $1,000 to $2,000 a day. It also requires a $10,000 deposit and increased the deductible for each crash or injury to $10,000, up from $1,000.

The Montana Board of Horse Racing is working on changing its rules to allow tracks to use purse revenues to pay for a $10,000 insurance deductible this year, and to borrow money against their future Simulcast earnings to cover high-cost injuries.

The board's executive director, Sam Murfitt, told Fair Board members that the rule changes should make it so the recent insurance increases aren't an issue.

''If you don't want to race in Kalispell, don't let it be because of insurance,'' he said. ''Take that issue off the table.''

But Fair Board Chairman Monte Long said even if the rule changes are approved, county commissioners already have decided to stop paying for jockey insurance.

''It doesn't matter what the Board of Horse Racing does to come up with money,'' Long said. ''There's no mechanism by which the Fair Board can put up the money. The commissioners have publicly stated that they won't approve anything for insurance.''

The Missoula County Fair Board also met this week, and a motion to cancel horse racing this year died for lack of a second. The final decision will be made by the Missoula County Commission.