2012 International Plowing Match

Saturday, April 21, was the annual plowing match held in our town in Berthusen Park  The park is mostly wooded picnic area, but there are some open fields to the west where there is space and tables for flying radio-controlled airplanes and plenty of space also for the plowing match.  Last year's match was held on an overcast and rainy day, but this year it was sunny and warm and I returned home with some sunburn.  There were about 20 teams of draft horses and one riding plow.  There were also a good number of women competitors.  I did not stay long enough to see the results, since the match goes for four or five hours.  There are many different categories and prizes, but I go more to see the horses and admire them.  These are some of my pictures.

And a few of the radio-controlled planes:

2011 International Plowing Match

"International" may be a bit pretentious, since all the teams and their owners are local, as far as I know, but the annual event is none the less worth attending for all that.  The county we live in is reputed to have more draft horses, teams and eights, than any other county in the United States, and that certainly seemed to be the case Saturday (April 16), the 70th time this event has been held.

The actual event begins at 11:00 am, but it is well worth arriving ahead of time, as I did, to see the horses arriving, being unloaded, groomed and harnessed for the event.  Many of the teams are beautifully gotten up with elaborate decorations, braided manes and beribboned tails, and even the horses seem to know that something special is happening and to be impatient to get on with their business.

There are various classes, adults, ladies, riding plows, youth, best groomed and decorated, with additional awards for various aspects of the plowing.  One goes, however, to see the horses, even mules and ponies (not there this year), and the fact that spectators are allowed to follow the plows and mingle with the horses and their owners makes the event even more special.

The day was changeable, with occasional sprinkles of rain, the sun breaking through at times, but mostly cloudy.  That made the picture taking a bit more difficult, but, these are some of the pictures and a video of the horses, the plowing, the competitors, the spectators, a little bit of everything, not in any particular order, but all reasons why someone would want to attend this event if in the area.

The Experts

We forgot the horses?!

I have to wear this?

Pete

Muddy Feet

Even Some Klompen

Rodeo Queen

Grandfather and Grandson

And the video: