DRESDEN, Ont. – Farmers have set a Guinness world record in this small rural community for the largest tractor parade.
The final count at the July 24 parade equaled 1,231 tractors, more than double the number set in Stirling, Ont., in 2008, said chief organizer Ken Richards.
The event also raised $120,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society and increased the profile of agriculture in southwestern Ontario.
The parade was held during the annual Dresden Fair and it took more than six hours to complete the 6 kilometre route.
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Richards heard of just two machines that were disqualified due to mechanical failure.
While parade participants came from as far away as Pennsylvania and Indiana, most were from within a 50 km radius of Dresden.
Fighting cancer was on the minds of many participants, such as the driver whose wife died of cancer three days before he drove a friend’s Ford 8N in the parade.
Others had similar stories.
“My brother-in-law is doing a stem cell right now” said Peter Warren, who drove his 1959 Allis Chalmers D-10. “It’s his second. My late father-in-law battled cancer for nine years. I don’t think anyone out there hasn’t been affected.”
Cancer survivor Mary Ellen Crow decorated her John Deere in pink.
“I said we should be ashamed if we don’t beat that number, 601,” she said. “It’s a good community spirit that we have.”
Organizers, volunteers, participants and those who watched said the event was also an important boost for Dresden and the wider rural community.
Among the more unusual models were two Lanz Bulldogs and a pair of Empire tractors.
The Empires, owned and driven by Kevin and Sharon Gervais of Dresden, have Willys-Oberland jeep engines and are among the 6,800 built just after the Second World War using surplus materials.
Mark Bos and his son Derek of Chatham, Ont., brought the larger of the two Lanz Bulldogs. He said there are about 15 of the German-engineered tractors in Canada.
They are powered by a single-cylinder, horizontal, two-stroke engine capable of using a broad range of fuel. The tractor design is simple but generates a lot of horsepower.
“We used to put her in tractor pulls and we’d win the trophies,” Bos said.
Guinness world records in agriculture
• The highest jump by a pigis 70 centimetres. It was achieved by Kotetsu, a pot-bellied pig on Aug. 22, 2004 at the Mokumoku Tedsukuri Farm in Mie, Japan.
• The most calves bornin a single birth is five, all of whom were born on March 18, 2005, at the Santa Clara Ranch, Congregacion Garza, Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The owners are Guadalupe Olivares Garza and Sons.
• The most wheat harvested in eight hoursby a team with a combine was achieved on Sept. 26, 2008, in Cornhill-On-Tweed in the north of England. The new landmark was set at 551.6 tonnes and was accomplished by Mountfair Farming Ltd. using a New Holland CR9090 equipped with a 35 foot Varifeed header.
• The most sheep shornmanually with scissors-handblade in eight hours is 50 by Jnos Marton of Hungary. Marton completed the challenge, without any breaks, on April 26, 2003, at Hdmezovsrhely Animal Husbandry Show in Hdmezovsrhely, Hungary.
• The highest ranking law-enforcement camelis Bert, who was accepted as reserve deputy sheriff for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, San Dimas, on April 5, 2003 and regulary goes on patrol.
• The tallest dogliving is Giant George, a Great Dane, who measured 43 inches tall on Feb. 15, 2010 and is owned by David Nasser of Tucson, Arizona.
• A total of 950 ridersparticipated in the first ever Guinness World Records achievement for the Largest Trail Riding Competition held June 13, 2010. The American Competitive Trail Horse Association raised more than $69,000 for horse rescue programs. Riders in 24 states competed in local trail rides in which riders competed on six-mile trails comprising natural trail obstacles.
• The largest jack o’lanternwas carved by Scott Cully from the world’s largest pumpkin on Oct. 31, 2005 in Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania. The pumpkin was grown by Larry Checkon and weighed 666.32 kilograms at the Pennsylvania Giant Pumpkin Growers Association Weigh-off, on Oct. 1, 2005.
• The fastest turkey pluckeris Vincent Pilkington of Cootehill, Republic of Ireland, who plucked a turkey in one minute, 30 seconds on Nov. 17, 1980. His past best time was two minutes 44 seconds. Pilkington was so enthusiastic about his skills that he carried out 24 hours of turkey plucking to raise funds for his local school. In this time he plucked 244 turkeys.
• The world’s tallest living horseis Big Jake, owned by Jerry Gilbert of Smokey Hollow Farm near Poynette, Wisconsin. The 9-year-old Belgian gelding stands 6 feet, 10 inches. Big Jake weighs about 2,600 pounds.
Source: Guinness World records
