Contestants from around the world | Competitors plow precise furrows without laser tracking or GPS equipment
OLDS, Alta. — A world plowing match is like a United Nations gathering place for farmers.
This year’s annual event held July 19-20 in Olds, displayed the bond between man and machine and the pride in plowing the perfect furrow without laser tracking or GPS.
An eagle eye, a measuring tape and a love of tilling land to grow food is all it takes to take up plowing as a sport.
“It is an art to be able to plow so steadily, straight and evenly,” said organizing chair Mark Kaun, a full-time farmer from Red Deer, Alta., who admits he would not be able to plow with such precision.
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“If they do it correctly, you cannot tell which direction they went. It is quite a feat to pull it off,” he said.
It was the 60th anniversary of the event, which this year hosted 58 competitors from 29 countries and was the second time it was held at Olds. The first world competition was held in Ontario in 1953.
Kaun visited New Zealand in 2010 and travelled to Croatia last year to see how the events are run and observe the other activities that accompany the competition.
Some contestants started to arrive a couple of weeks ago, many shipping their own tractors and specially designed competition plows. They need to practice and get the lay of the land, which in central Alberta is a heavy black loam that rarely sees tillage. The plots were seeded four years ago with a grass mix.
Getting a chance to see deep plowing is a new experience for many western Canadians.
“In many countries they are doing eco-till, we call it, but we still say your crops are better from plowing,” said Anne Marie McHugh of Ireland, secretary general of the World Plowing Organization.
Competitors are mostly farmers who do it for the love of tilling the land rather than the prize money, said Lynn McDonald, one of the Canadian organizers.
She said their reward is glory and a chance to win a golden plow trophy.
It can be an expensive hobby, and most go to matches on their own dime with the exception of a few whose national plowing associations can find sponsorships. Each contestant at a world event has already qualified in his or her national event.
“It costs anywhere from $15,000 to $18,000 to get their units here from home,” said McDonald.
McHugh said each member of the Irish team spent $22,000 to ship their equipment by container. That did not include other expenses such as flights, which probably resulted in a final bill of about $34,000 each. In addition, all the equipment had to be steam cleaned to clear customs and ensure no soil or foreign pests were hitchhiking into Canada.
The Irish are often able to draw on support from their national plowing association and sponsorships.
Plowing is extremely popular in Ireland, and their three day event draws 350 competitors and crowds of 180,000 people, she said.
Contestants are judged on a list of criteria with judges watching every move.
They plow an opening furrow in a plot 100 metres by 20 metres and have three hours to do it.
There are penalties for going over time.
Judges assess how the land was opened and measure uniformity and depth of furrows, making sure they are 18 to 22 centimetres deep.
They examine the overall neatness, meaning no trash or grass is exposed. The only tractor tire ridge allowed is on the last furrow.
The contestants may have helpers and coaches in practice rounds, but they are on their own once the whistle blows to start.
“It is very lonely when you are there at the final. If they speak to anybody, they are penalized,” McHugh said.
Next year’s competition is in France, and matches have been scheduled up to 2032.
McHugh has already travelled to France to help with organization.
