Looking Back at the Huron County Plowing Match
while we
Look Forward to Future Matches
A supplement to
The Citizen
a division of North Huron Publishing
PAGE 2. HURON COUNTY PLOWING MATCH, AUGUST 2020.
A year to prepare Brian Wiersma, left, hasn’t had the first year as Huron  Plowmen’s Association President he’d anticipated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the organization is moving full steam ahead for the 2021 match, though its location has
yet to be determined. Wiersma is seen here in 2019 installing the sign for that August’s match with Don Dodds, centre, Margaret Vincent, second from right, and Ray Dykstra, right, the host of the 2019 match, which was held in Howick Township. (File photo)
Wiersma looks ahead to 2021 By Brian Wiersma, President Huron County Plowmen’s Association This year’s Huron County Plowing Match had to be cancelled due to COVID-19. It was to be held on Aug. 20-21 at the farm of Pete and Leisa Albers. The location was 42894 Browntown Road, Huron East. Although our match was cancelled, I would like to say thank you to Pete and Leisa Albers for offering to host the match. They said to me that they would host again in two or three years. On Thursday, Aug. 20 there would have been the Junior Day. The Junior Day focuses on the many hours of practice and preparation by the 4-H Sodbusters Club. It is also the Princess competition with the
Princess speeches beginning on Thursday. The current Huron County Princess is Grace Hallahan. As there will not be a competition this year, Grace will continue to represent the Huron County Plowmen’s Association for another year. Keep up the great job. On Friday, Aug. 21, the day was to begin with a breakfast by donation to benefit the Tanner Steffler Foundation. There was to be tractor plowing as well as horse plowing which continues throughout the day. A lunch would have been available for purchase on site thanks to the Belmore Skating Club. As well, there is usually a variety of displays to visit in addition to watching the plowing. The Queen of the Furrow
competition would have commenced at 1 p.m. on Friday with speeches from the competitors. Our current Queen is Maranda Klaver. She too has been doing an excellent job at promoting Huron County. Our plowing awards banquet is always held on the Friday evening of the match. Cardiff’s BBQ Catering would have been doing the meal at the banquet. The plowing awards are presented after the meal and the Queen of the Furrow is also crowned. Again, as there is not a competition this year, Maranda Klaver will continue to represent Huron County for another year. With the International Plowing Match cancelled, our plowers, Queen of the Furrow and Princess of the Furrow will carry over to the next year 2021. I wish to extend a huge thank you to our many volunteers who dedicate their time and energy, the numerous sponsorers for their support to make our Huron County Plowing Match a success, and the community for attending. Thank you again for everyone involved and the Huron County Plowmen’s Association looks forward to seeing you at next year’s match.
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Hallahan will hold two-year Princess term By Grace Hallahan 2019-2020 Huron County Princess Oh, what an amazing year I have had being the Huron County Princess for 2019 and 2020.
McIntosh continues legacy
Huron’s Princess Grace Hallahan, right, was crowned Huron County Princess at the 2019 Huron County Plowing Match, held in Howick Township. Jordan Shortreed, left, did the honours, officially ending her 2018/2019 reign. Hallahan will now stay on until 2021. (File photo)
Dugald McIntosh, a 13-year-old hailing from RR4, Seaforth, finished seventh in his class at the 2019 Huron County Plowing Match as a member of the local Sodbusters 4-H Club. In an e-mail to The Citizen, he said he hopes to live up to the legacy set by his uncle, Bill Fotheringham, who won the top junior plowing award in 1985 and the top 4-H Sodbuster in 1987. He won a scholarship at the 1986 International Plowing Match (IPM) and a silver tray and trophy in 1989 for his work at the IPM that year. Bill and his wife Amy would go on to host the Huron County Plowing Match in 1999 at their Huron East farm. When Bill retired from plowing, he donated his plow to the Sodbusters Club to help members learn to plow. It was McIntosh’s grandfather, however, Robert Fotheringham, who began the plowing legacy for the family. Robert has been part of the Huron County Plowing Match family since the 1960s, helping as a steward of the land until just recently. He served as a plowing coach for Amy (Stewart) Beccario at the IPM. She would go on to be crowned Huron County’s first-ever Ontario Queen of the Furrow in 1966/1967.
This year made me realize how thankful I am to live in such a wonderful community. We started the year in September at the Brussels Fall Fair, decorating cakes with fellow local ambassadors. Ambassadors of all ages showed up trying to win the highest bid of the night for their decorated cake. I also attended the Blyth Huron Pioneer Threshers Reunion which is a Hallahan family favourite. Then before we knew it, it was already November! We then started my favourite part of the year: the Christmas parades! It was so much fun seeing everyone show up and dancing along to the Christmas tunes
and having a great time. By the last parade, I had a system worked out that abled me to decorate the whole truck in less than 15 minutes. Each parade was very exciting and a new learning experience! Due to COVID-19, I was not able to finish off my term, but I am thrilled to have another term as the Princess. I also want to thank everyone for continuing to do their part during this great pause. I want to remind people to be kind and remember to never stop believing in times of crisis. I also want to give a great big shout-out to the healthcare heroes, our farmers and their families, who all continue to stand up and feed our communities and our world. The Magazine of Agricultural Life
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Three generations Thirteen-year-old Dugald McIntosh, left, from RR4, Seaforth became the third generation of his family in 2019 to take part in the Huron County Plowing Match after his uncle Bill Fotheringham, right, won several junior plowing awards in the 1980s and his grandfather Robert Fotheringham had been involved with local matches since the 1960s, serving as a steward of the land. (Photo submitted)
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PAGE 4. HURON COUNTY PLOWING MATCH, AUGUST 2020.
Klaver looks back on first year as HC Queen reminded me that anything can change in a matter of minutes. The changes in my 2020 reign have been so insignificant compared to the gravity many people are facing right now. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be the Huron County Queen of the Furrow throughout this unprecedented time and to learn to grow both personally and professionally through representing Huron in such a new way. This year has reminded me to remain present in the moment, take nothing for granted, prioritize mental health and happiness, and do
my best with what I have, wherever I am. Looking forward, I am very grateful to have the opportunity to represent Huron for another year alongside Grace and continue to work with such an exceptional association. Our monthly meetings have been given the green light to continue again so we will finally be able to reconnect with one another. Although we will not be having a plowing match this year, we are still ramping up for next year and will be back bigger and better than ever, so stay tuned and stay safe!
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Queen Huron County Queen of the Furrow Maranda Klaver, left, was crowned by her predecessor Loretta Higgins at the 2019 Huron County Plowing Match gala event. (File photo) By Maranda Klaver 2019-2020 Queen of the Furrow Oh what a year it’s been! On Aug. 23, the Dykstra farm in Gorrie, Howick Township was host to the 92nd Huron County Plowing Match. As always, we had an excellent turnout all around. My main goal for the day was to not only have fun and meet some new people, but also do well in the plowing portion of the competition. After all, that was what it was all about. Not only did I achieve that by winning the plow award; but was fortunate to be crowned the new Queen of the Furrow, and I was ecstatic! Being a previous Princess of the Furrow back in 2012, I knew I was in for an amazing year alongside some great people on the Plowmen’s Association and could not wait to start it alongside Grace Hallahan, who was crowned Princess. The first official event I attended was the Middlesex County Plowing Match in September, where I met up with the 2018 Middlesex Queen Veronica Roelands, 2019 Queen Ashleigh Beacham, Princess Emma Reig, Chatham Kent Princess Megan Devries and Derika Nauta, the 2018 Ontario Queen of the Furrow. There was lots of royalty and excited plowmen to be found in Middlesex. September brought fair season into full swing. My next event was in my stomping grounds at the Seaforth Fall Fair, and Ambassador competition. I convinced my dad to let me drive our newly-restored John Deere 4020 tractor in the parade, so that was definitely a memorable moment for me. It was also so great to see everyone out at both the Senior and Junior Ambassador competitions and support the new prince and princess competitions! Congratulations to Grayce Poppe and Kiara Driscoll on being crowned the new ambassadors! I also got to meet up with Perth County Queen of the Furrow Elisabeth VanBakel, Huron Central Ambassadors Chantel VanDorp and Amanda Bos, Mitchell Ambassador Serena Hinz, Lucknow Ambassador Lauren Bos and Brussels Ambassador Sean Mitchell. Later that night I set north for the Howick Fall Fair Ambassador competition. It was the first time being at Howick ambassador competition for me and it was a very well put together ambassador competition with five amazing
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young women vying for the title. Congratulations to Dezirae Whitehead on being crowned the new Howick Ambassador. A new event Grace and I were invited to this year was the Brussels Fall Fair cake-decorating competition. Ambassadors and Queens from across Huron, Perth and Bruce Counties were invited and paired up with one another to decorate a cake and then auction it off. This brought back many great memories of our plowing match as queen contestants would participate in cake decorating prior to the banquet which would also be auctioned off. I was paired up with Brussels Fall Fair Little Ambassador Rowan Gaspric. Although our cake did not go for the highest amount, it sure looked great! The last fair on the agenda for the fall was the Lucknow Fall Fair. I brought greetings on behalf of Huron County Plowmen’s Association at the ambassador competition. There were ambassadors from Mitchell, Howick, Listowel, Central Huron, Paisley, as well as the Bruce County Queen Alison Pepper.
Congratulations to Megan Metske on being crowned the new ambassador! Before I knew it, Christmas parade season was upon us. Grace and I partook in the Seaforth and Goderich Christmas parades and quickly learned lots of layers are essential if you don’t want frozen toes! It was only a week away from the Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) annual convention in March when COVID-19 swept through and shut everything down. As disappointed as I was, because I had everything prepared, and as excited as I was to meet other queens from across the province, I knew this was for the best. Not only was convention cancelled, but since that time, the International Plowing Match, and most other local matches, including Huron, have since been cancelled, as well as local fairs. Monthly meetings with our association were also cancelled. When I was asked in my interview where I saw myself within the next year- quarantining at home during a pandemic was not in my slightest thoughts! Although it isn’t ideal; having all this time to reset has
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Vincent is the first female OPA director from HC By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen
Before and after Margaret Vincent from the Belgrave area is now the Zone 3 director for the Ontario Plowmen’s Association, but her involvement in the world of competitive plowing began years ago when she was the Huron County Queen of the Furrow in 2007/2008, above. She went on to become the president of the Huron Plowmen’s Association, below, with her term coming to an end this year. (File photos)
In April of 2019, Margaret Vincent of Huron County became the most recent resident to take a position as an Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) director and the first woman from the county. Vincent joins a line that reads as a who’s who from the Huron County plowing scene. Gordon McGavin, Jim Armstrong, Neil McGavin and Steve Corbett all served with the provincial organization over the past century before Vincent took on the position early last year. In representing Zone 3 – Huron, Perth, Bruce and Grey Counties – Vincent will be an OPA director for a threeyear term that began last April. It is perhaps appropriate that Vincent, Huron County’s 2007/2008 Queen of the Furrow, will serve under Sheila Marshall as president of the association. Marshall was the Ontario Queen of the Furrow in 1973 and this is the first time that a former queen has been elected president of the organization. Vincent was acclaimed to her position after Carl Weber, long-time director and former association president, withdrew from the ballot. “Carl’s numerous years of experience and involvement were definitely an asset for the zone,” Vincent said in an association press release. “It wasn’t wanting to be against him [that I ran], it was wanting to be involved with the organization.” Vincent said that after years of involvement at the local level, both through her parents Joan and Neil and through her own work (she is the past-president of the Huron Plowmen’s Association), it only made sense to take this next step into the provincial association. She also said that when the 2017 International Plowing Match (IPM) was held in Walton, that really spurred her onto the next level. She said that when she attended the 2018
IPM in Chatham/Kent, she really began seriously considering allowing her name to stand. Vincent said that she was particularly interested in the position because she saw some opportunity for a shift at the provincial level and, she said, if you want to affect change, you have be an instrument of that change. Moving forward, she said, she feels that the organization needs to embrace its heritage and its roots, but also look to the future and consider the time ahead as well as the past. Much of Vincent’s work, as well as the association’s, is to foster the IPM and ensure that it’s a special event each and every year. While a lot of that work is planning and preparation, Vincent said, there is a
lot of boots-on-the-ground work when the IPM rolls around, for which she says she’s prepared. She says that she’ll work to ensure the success of all of the local plowing matches in Zone 3 and keep them strong for years to come, while also helping to ensure the future strength and success of the IPM, despite the fact that the provincial event was cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Joining Vincent on the board of directors are Brian Lunn in Zone 1, Melvin Switzer in Zone 2, Don Priest in Zone 4 (he will also serve as vice-president), Robert MacLean in Zone 5, Doug Sturgess in Zone 6 and David Murray, Donna Telfer and Sheila Marshall in the directors atlarge positions (Marshall will serve as president).
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PAGE 6. HURON COUNTY PLOWING MATCH, AUGUST 2020.
Huron East a local hotbed for plowing champions beat him. I don't want him winning instead of me, so hopefully I can pull it off.” In the end, Brandon did pull it off, earning the chance to go to the World Ploughing Competition in 2016 in the United Kingdom. While he didn’t win the
championship, McGavin was happy to be able to compete, especially with his family members coming to support him in England. While Brandon was competing at the world championship, his father was again competing at the Continued on page 7
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Well supported All competitors that have went to the World Ploughing Competition from Huron County say the support from home is unbeatable. Brandon McGavin, centre, had a great fan section that included family members who flew to the United Kingdom to cheer him on. (File photo)
By Denny Scott The Citizen Huron County and its local plowing match has long been a hotbed for the creation of provincial, national- and even internationalcalibre plowing competitors, going back to the days of Gordon McGavin in the 1920s and as recently as just a few years past. While there is talent throughout the county, there must be something special about Huron East, and specifically Walton, as all of the recent competitors that have represented Huron County come from around that community. Brandon McGavin is the most recent member of his clan to go
compete at the World Ploughing Competition, having represented Alberta in the national competition to advance. The Walton native competed on behalf of his home province of Ontario, but competed under Alberta’s flag after enrolling in Olds College in Alberta. Brandon and Brian faced off in 2015 at the Canadian Plowing Match for the senior conventional trophy after Brian won at the International Plowing Match, winning the right to represent Ontario, and Brandon won the right to represent Alberta. The two competitors went to Pykeview Meadows at Wolfe Island, Ontario to compete head-to-head for the chance to represent Canada. While Brian said he was looking
forward to the match as a chance to connect with his son, who had been living out of province, Brandon saw it as a chance to compete with his father. “We both want each other to do well,” Brandon said in an interview with The Citizen prior to the match. “However, I’m definitely looking to
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Dodds, McGavin have represented internationally national championships, a lot of the names happen to be the same with Dodds capturing the Canadian Junior title twice in 1986 and 1987 and McGavin winning in 2010 and 2011. Kevin Haney of Seaforth also captured the title in 2013. Haney, when interviewed by local media after the win, lauded Huron County’s plowing program saying it is great. Haney was confident before the match, having three days of practice in British Columbia where the match was held in 2013. Haney said that “getting out of Ontario”, or winning the International Plowing Match’s junior competition to represent the province, was only half the battle. Haney won the same year that
Dodds took the senior championship, marking the first time in history that both champions were from the same county.
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KRAEMER CONCRETE LTD. Getting it just right Paul Dodds, who has earned multiple first-place finishes in the junior and senior plowing competitions at the International Plowing Match (IPM), is shown above during the 2017 IPM in Walton adjusting his tractor mid-plow. (File photo) Continued from page 6 Canadian Plowing Match near Ottawa that same year, where he was named reserve champion, falling five points out of first place. Paul Dodds of Winthrop earned the right to represent the country in 2014 by winning the 2013 Canadian Plowing Championship. Dodds travelled to Saint Jean D’Illac in Bordeaux, France in August of 2014 to represent Canada. He said that it was a difficult competition, in an interview with The Citizen, but also an enjoyable trip. “The trip was a great experience,” he said. “Everything was fun… it was just all enjoyable.”
The difficult competition was made even better by plowing in a very different kind of biome than he was used to, Dodds said. “The soil was really sandy,” he said. “A lot of the guys described it like plowing a beach. It was different than what I’m used to and [it] didn’t hold together the same as something that has more clay or body to it. It definitely made for a challenge. “It was really stiff competition,” he said. “There were some exceptional plowmen there. It was probably near what I thought it was going to be, but just a little tougher on top of that. However, until you’re
actually there, in the competition, it’s tough to anticipate.” Dodds said, off the field, the other plowmen were incredibly friendly, and he made several life-long connections he feels. As far as junior plowers earning
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PAGE 8. HURON COUNTY PLOWING MATCH, AUGUST 2020.
2017 IPM remains a highlight for many in Huron day that Walton was announced as the match site by way of an ice sculpture bearing the community’s name being revealed that day. Many organizers that day commended the choice of Bishop, a long-time member of the Huron County agricultural community and 4-H Club leader. Once the site was identified and a leader was put in place, the organization began securing lease agreements with over a dozen landowners in the Walton area for use of their land during the IPM. In early 2015, IPM organizers began to pursue a potential partnership with the Brussels Agricultural Society that would see the 2017 Brussels Fall Fair hosted on the IPM grounds in Walton.
Bishop attended the society’s annual meeting in Brussels and expressed the group’s interest in a partnership. She told those in attendance that she saw the partnership as an opportunity to do something great that had never been done before in IPM history. A month later, IPM organizers appointed a number of honorary senators – men who have a long history in the world of competitive plowing and whose expertise in the event is second to none. Neil McGavin, Don Dodds, Don Pullen, George Townsend and Graeme Craig, chair of the 1999 IPM, the last to be held in Huron County, were all “appointed” to the senator positions. In May, 2015, four months after Continued on page 9
See you in 2021! Worth remembering The 2017 International Plowing Match, the 100th in history, held in Walton remains a happy memory for many who were involved or who simply attended. It attracted tens of thousands of visitors, even with its rain-shortened schedule, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family, above, who made a special visit on the Friday of the match. (File photo)
By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Perhaps the most memorable event in Huron County of the last five years remains the 2017 International Plowing Match (IPM), held in Walton at the home farm of Jack Ryan and his family as well as over a dozen of his neighbours. Looking back at his four years as Huron County Warden, Jim Ginn cited the IPM first on his list of achievements during that period. In fact, it was the IPM that first spurred him on to run for the position, feeling a farmer should be in the county’s top political position during a year in which it hosts an IPM. How the 2017 IPM came to be hosted by Huron County began nearly nine years ago. Work began even earlier as local representatives put work into their pitch in hopes they would earn the rights to host the 100th IPM in the province’s history. The Huron County Plowmen’s
Association expressed interest in hosting the 2017 IPM in March, 2012. Huron County representatives knew at the time that it would be the 100th IPM. This was one year before the 100th anniversary IPM in 2013 – the match a century after the first match, which was held in York County in 1913 – but, due to the loss of four years of IPMs between 1942 and 1945, the 2017 match would be the 100th actual IPM. Now, in 2020, the match has been lost again – this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This match and those during World War II were the only times the match had to be cancelled. In early March, 2013, Huron County won the right to host the 2017 IPM. While it had been rumoured that other counties were planning to bid on the match, in the end Huron was the only county in the running. It was former Huron and Ontario Queen of the Furrow Melissa
Sparling (now Veldman) who made the bid on behalf of the county, suggesting that perhaps other counties were “scared off” by the strength of the Huron County bid. On June 23, 2013, the Huron County Plowmen’s Association held a special event in Seaforth called “A Celebration of Rural Plowing” that served as the stage for several important announcements. There, the association announced that Bluevale’s Jacquie Bishop would be chair of the 2017 IPM – the first woman to ever serve in that capacity. In addition, it was on that
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HURON COUNTY PLOWING MATCH, AUGUST 2020. PAGE 9.
2017 IPM leaves its mark with Legacy Fund
The first class The first-ever intake for the International Plowing Match (IPM) Legacy Fund in Huron County is seen above, honoured at the 2019 Huron County Plowing Match. The scholarship fund is stocked with $250,000, aimed at aiding local youth with their education for the next 20-25 years, so the match can make an continuing impact for years to come. (File photo) Continued from page 8 the concept was first floated, the Brussels Agricultural Society voted to officially partner with the IPM and host the 2017 Brussels Fall Fair at the match in Walton. The one-year countdown to the IPM began in September, 2016 with another one-of-a-kind event, which served as a fundraiser for the Brussels Agricultural Society. There was a ceremonial passing of the torch from the closing ceremonies of the 2016 IPM in Wellington County and a procession to Brussels. IPM Secretary Lynne Godkin, a veteran marathon runner and former Ontario Queen of the Furrow from Huron County, travelled on foot from the Wellington County site to Brussels and transferred dirt from that site to a tree-planting ceremony in Brussels. The special event was followed by a dinner and an evening of entertainment. The IPM began unofficially on Sunday, Sept. 17 with a church service at the match site at Jack Ryan and family’s Walton-area farm. However, the match officially began on Tuesday, Sept. 19, when politicians and officials of all stripes flocked to Huron County for the opening day of the match. That first day of the IPM, however, was marred by a torrential downpour that caused the cancellation of the traditional parade and the eventual closure of the site for the following day.
Though organizers had to turn away busloads of students and visitors, they were confident they’d made the right decision. On Sept. 20, dozens of community volunteers worked tirelessly on the closed-to-the-public site, scraping mud, repairing thoroughfares and placing straw on the ground in tents and near displays to absorb the moisture of the downpour. When the IPM grounds reopened on Sept. 21, the cool, wet weather was replaced by scorching heat that would not subside for the rest of the match. While it proved to be hot for some, the sun did a great job of drying out the site that had been deemed uninhabitable just days earlier thanks to rain. Organizers, vendors and exhibitors got back into the swing of things on Sept. 21 and, as the day came to an end, news came through that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family would be visiting the site the following day. Trudeau, his wife Sophie and their children made their way to the site on Friday morning, visiting with the Ryan family and organizers like Chair Jacquie Bishop and the McGavin family, before trying his hand at plowing with a rig borrowed from host farmer Jack Ryan’s grandson John. Kailey Donaldson, representing the Halton Plowmen’s Association, was crowned the 2017/2018 Ontario Queen of the Furrow that night,
taking over for Anita Rastapkevicius of Elgin County. On the final day of the match, Huron County’s Brooklyn Hendriks was crowned the IPM Princess in a first-of-its-kind competition. The Princess competition was developed years ago to serve as a feeder system for the Queen of the Furrow competition for young women, but it had never before been held at the IPM. A packed performance by country music star George Canyon capped off several days of musical performances, both from worldrenowned and local artists and with that the sun set on the 2017 IPM. The event officially ended with a special closing ceremonies that was not attended by many. However, those who were in attendance were among the most dedicated and hardworking volunteers associated with the match, so it served as a big “thank you” for those most involved with the match. The impact of the IPM now lives on in the form of the IPM Legacy
Fund. Designed to carry the legacy of the 2017 match forward for generations to come, the fund is stocked with $250,000 to be handed out to local students with a focus on volunteerism and community involvement. The first class of recipients was named at the 2019 Huron County Plowing Match in Howick and it included Emily Mitchell of Walton, Emma Baan of Walton, Maggie Burgsma of Kinburn, Sean Mitchell of Walton, Delayna Smith of Brussels and Laura Higgins of Belgrave. Bishop says that by the time the legacy fund has been paid out, the match will have invested over $500,000 back into Huron County. The hope, though, is that the legacy fund will be something that lives on
for longer than its planned 25 years. The re-investment of over $500,000 into the community comes after the 2017 IPM was hamstrung by several inches of rain in just a few hours on its opening day and then a forced closure for its second day to allow for significant clean-up and site repairs, followed by days of unseasonable heat. However, despite those challenges, the event still welcomed over 76,000 attendees to Walton in, essentially, three days. Bishop said that the match made over $3.8 million in total revenue and, after all of the bills were paid, she and the rest of the executive have been very pleased to be able to donate over $500,000 back to the community that so supported the match.
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PAGE 10. HURON COUNTY PLOWING MATCH, AUGUST 2020.
Retired judge Dodds explains plowing scoring The crown is a 40-point category consisting of straightness, closeness and conformity, the amount of grass or stubble not buried and the soil available for planting. “That’s of course the whole point [of plowing] is making sure that there is enough good soil to plant in,” Dodds said. After the crown is completed, the general work starts. Inspecting the general work requires some up-close inspection and this is when the judges are actually out in the field examining the work. “You have to check the furrows and soil stability and make sure you can’t see grass and stubble,” Dodds said. “You also have to see how firm the soil is. You can stand at the headlands and not see all that so you have to walk the field testing things.” Dodds added that this is one of the parts of the judging that really helps competitors understand what is
The golden clipboard After decades of judging, and decades of plowing experience beyond that, Winthrop-area farmer Don Dodds was honoured with a golden clipboard for his time judging plowing and fostering young plowers at the 2017 International Plowing Match gala. Dodds was honoured by his daughter and former Ontario Queen of the Furrow Lynne Godkin, left. (File photo)
By Denny Scott The Citizen For retired plowing match judge Don Dodds, examining the cuts, straightness and various other qualities of a well plowed plot was a decades-long ambition. During a span that reached back to the 1980s and only came to an end recently, Dodds, who lives in the Winthrop area, would annually take to the fields to ply his numerous years of expertise as a plowing judge to examine and evaluate every level of plowing from local competitions and 4-H club practices up to national competitions (though last year he bowed out as his son Paul was competing). Dodds has been involved in plowing for nearly 70 years now, having started himself as a youth in the 1950s. He is still involved with the Huron County Plowmen’s Association and as a 4-H Leader. He explained to The Citizen that, when he went away to school, he stopped plowing, however, when his own children started, he got involved right away coaching and then eventually wanted to learn about judging so he could better coach. In the early 1980s, Dodds attended a coaching school to further his understanding. “I learned as much as I could and went through the scoring contests,” he said. “Within a year, I was asked by the Ontario Plowmen’s Association to be a judge. “I guess I did too well at the judge classes,” he said with a laugh. After that he was paired up with other judges before taking to the fields himself with a score-card in hand. “Basically, I learned what was required for a good plow, then I saw whether it was there or not,” he said. Beyond that, judging is difficult to explain to people. “It’s hard to explain,” he said. “It basically took a long time to learn what to look for and... incorporating the changes I’ve noticed over the years since then.” Some of the most important of those lessons are of course the categories and things looked for when scoring plowing. Scoring for a traditional plow is
split into five categories; the initial split, the crown, the general work away from the crown, the finish and the general appearance. Within each category are specific scores for individual aspects of the plowing, each of which is worth 10 points. Category scores range from 20 points for the first split up to 60 points for general appearance for a grand total of a possible 200 points, however Dodds said that it isn’t likely to ever see anyone get to that lofty number. “You don’t often see anything perfect outside of the split,” he said. “People don’t see 10 points on their scorecards, though you see eights or nines.” The split, or the first cut made with the plow, is judged based on its straightness, its cut and its uniformity. “The straightness is a major point not just for the split but for plowing in general,” Dodds said. “If you’re not plowing straight, you could be in trouble. You can go back and fix it, so that’s still worth
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being looked for as he has walked through it with local 4-H groups. The second-to-last section is the finish which really deals with maintaining a happy medium between extremes. “The finish should be as narrow as possible, making it easy to fill, and beyond that it can’t be too deep or too shallow. The available soil has to fill it in,” Dodds said. The final category is general appearance and it has to do with the plot as a whole. “Everything on the land has to look finished and be straight and conform with the rest of it,” he said. “There shouldn’t be any humps or hollows or anything like that.” One of the categories that appears on some scorecards, based on what kind of plow is being used, is the “ins and outs” category in the final section. “This is how fast the plowman is Continued on page 11
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Experience plays into recognizing good plowing
In black and white Plowing championships can be waged over a handful of points, or even less, with a total of 200 points on the line. Seasoned (and retired) judge Don Dodds says that a lot of judging comes from being involved in Continued from page 10 able to get into the working depth,� Dodds explained. “It used to be a couple of feet, now they like to see it done within a foot. That’s why many people use hydraulics now as they are quicker.� Dodds said that reversible plows are scored differently because they don’t require the same amount of work to get to the necessary working depth. Beyond the final score there is the chance for penalties to affect the outcome of a plowing competition. Dodds explained that, when working the final furrow, a plowman must cast off, or turn the dirt towards his own crown instead of his neighbour’s land. “That last trip the furrow has to go towards the crown or else it could damage the work of a neighbour,� Dodds said. “It’s an important rule that sometimes gets overlooked.� Beyond knowing the scoring and the penalties, Dodds said the best experience for new judges is to have plowed themselves. “Once you’ve plowed, you realize what’s involved with the system,� he said. “The longer you’re involved, the easier it becomes to recognize a well-plowed lot.� He also said that scoring good plowing is much easier than scoring poor plowing.
“It’s a lot easier to start with a perfect score and work your way down than it is to try and figure out whether someone did half a job and then modify it from there,� he said. Despite that, he said that giving people unearned marks, especially younger plowmen, makes for disappointment later on. “If you’re giving marks that aren’t deserved, you deceive them,� he said. “You have to be honest when looking at the plowing because, if people get good marks locally then move up in competition and get poor marks, it’s a real heartbreaker.� Judges go to school every year to learn any changes and to also communicate with each other and make sure they are on the same page, Dodds said. He added that some of the scoring is always going to be up to personal preference, however, because each judge is different. In his judging career, Dodds has judged at every level in Canada and says that Ontario is fortunate to have the judges it has. While it is a lot of work and it can be stressful at times, Dodds said that judging is a great experience and one he really appreciated. “I have enjoyed doing it and I hope I’ve helped the kids,� he said. “It’s stressful, especially at the International [Plowing Match] and
plowing competitions and gradually figuring out what makes for a good split, a good crown and good finishing work, as detailed in the IPM scorecard above. (File photo)
it’s not a job to be taken lightly, but it is something you can look back on and know you helped out.� As far as advice, Dodds said he has been given lots, but one of the
most important lessons was one he was told on his first day. “When you’re leaving the field there are only going to be, at most, two people happy,� he said. “There’s
going to be the guy you put in first place and hopefully yourself if you know you did a good job. That was passed on to me on one of my first days as a judge and I won’t forget it.�
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PAGE 12. HURON COUNTY PLOWING MATCH, AUGUST 2020.
Taylor blazed trail as first Huron County Queen decades at both the Wingham and Listowel hospitals and then at a nursing home in Wingham. In the years that followed her trailblazing representation of Huron County, Taylor has been a prolific public speaker throughout the community, and not just at local plowing matches. In 2017, she spoke to the Queen of the Furrow contestants at the International Plowing Match in Walton and her speech was enthusiastically received by the young women. Taylor said the contestants were so engaged in her speech and they were clapping and laughing. She felt very close to her fellow Queens at that moment. She said that a number of contestants spoke to her afterwards and asked her further questions. Over the years, Taylor has become
Back in the day Doreen Taylor (née Howatt), right, helps guide her father Edgar Howatt’s plowing team at the 1960 Huron County Plowing Match. She would be named Queen of the Furrow at the match, earning the right to be the first Huron County woman to compete provincially. (Photo submitted)
By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen As Huron County’s first-ever Queen of the Furrow, Doreen Taylor of the Westfield area has been an enduring presence in furthering the profile of women in agriculture in Huron County. Since she was a young girl working on her family’s farm alongside her father, Taylor has had her hands in the world of agriculture. She says she has been part of a strong tradition of women who have been integral to success on the farm in Huron County and beyond. It was Taylor’s early relationship with her father on the farm that she feels led her to first become involved with the Huron County Plowmen’s Association. Taylor’s father, Edgar Howatt, became a champion plowman in his teenage years. He was a regular sight at area plowing matches and always worked with a single-furrow plow and a team of horses. His success came after one of his neighbours worked to teach him the tricks of the trade. He would plow for generations, Taylor said, starting in his early teens and continuing until he was in his late 70s.
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It was at the 1960 International Plowing Match (IPM), held at the home farm of Thomas Humbe and his sons in Springfield in Elgin County, that the first provincial Queen of the Furrow competition was held and Taylor was the first woman to ever represent Huron County in that competition. She suspects her runner-up finish in the Ontario Dairy Princess competition at the Canadian National Exhibition earlier that year led to her being chosen as Huron’s first Queen of the Furrow. There was no local competition that year like there is now. Taylor was simply asked if she wanted to represent the county at the IPM and she accepted. As an already accomplished public speaker through school drama classes, Taylor felt she would represent the county well, but thought her plowing knowledge could use some work. It was then that she walked into a Listowel-area farm dealership and asked the owner for help. With her on-farm experience being only that of a horse-drawn plow, Taylor needed to know about a tractor-pulled plow and the owner of the dealership was more than happy to help.
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Armed with her newfound knowledge of the ins and outs of a modern plow, Taylor felt ready to take on the competition. While in Springfield, Taylor gave a speech and took part in the event’s parade, sitting on a wagon alongside the other Queen of the Furrow contestants. While she doesn’t remember many specifics about that year’s match, what she does remember is not having a way to get home and not realizing that until the match was over. Taylor thought on her feet, however, and connected with members of the Becker family from Dashwood who drove her home. To this day the two families remain friends. When she was part of the competition, she had begun working as a nurse, a career that would span
Huron’s “Queen Bee” and has been as involved as her schedule allows in the Queen of the Furrow competition year after year. In fact, Taylor served as a judge for the competition in 2015 and was part of a special presentation. When she was the Queen of the Furrow, there were neither a sash nor any awards, so after she served as a judge, she was presented with a sash and a special gift to thank her for her work on behalf of Huron County. From the day she represented Huron County as its first Queen of the Furrow up to now, Taylor says she has been proud to stand up for her home community. “It gives me such pride to represent the county. It’s so fulfilling,” Taylor said. The competition has changed Continued on page 13
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Distinguished list includes several Ontario Queens followed by Colleen Hamann (née Cardiff) in 1973. Anne Milton (née Stewart) captured the crown in 1974 and 1978. Linda Sloane (née Newton) captured the crown in 1975. Lori Copping (née Stafford) won back-toback crowns in 1976 and 1977 before Milton reclaimed the crown. Janet Lansdell (née Shapton) captured the crown in 1979 followed by Deb Falconer (née Armstrong). The late Dianne van Vliet was named Huron County Queen of the Furrow in 1981 followed by Lynne Godkin (née Dodds) who captured the crown in 1982 and 1983. Valerie Watson (née Johnston) won in 1984
followed by Lori Merner (née Consitt) in 1985. Sandra Zwep captured the crown in 1986 followed by Audrey Bos in 1987. Cheryl Regele was named Queen in 1988 followed by Heather Kelso (née McGavin) in 1989. Leanne Carter (née Whitmore) won in 1990 followed by Sherry Delay (née Hoegy) in 1991. Sue Van Nes (née Terpstra) was Queen in 1992 followed by Sharon Foran (née Kelly) in 1993. Shannon Craig Soontiens was named Queen in 1994 followed by Charlene O’Reilly (née Townsend) in 1995 and Julie KnoblauchHeinrich (née Miller) in 1996. In
1997 Stephanie Syed (née MacDonald) was named Queen of the Furrow followed by Erin Keen (née McNaughton) in 1998. Amanda MacDonald (née Denys) was named Queen in 1999. Rebecca Versteeg earned the crown in 2000, followed by Crystal Schyff (née Edgar) in 2001. Robyn Arts Leppington won the crown in 2002 followed by Kora Bennett in 2003. Rosanna Grobbink claimed it in 2004 and Jessica Wettlaufer (née Feagan) in 2005. Mallory Kernighan won the crown in 2006 followed by Margaret Vincent in 2007. Melissa Veldman Continued on page 14
Provincial greatness Huron’s latest Ontario Queen of the Furrow Melissa Veldman (née Sparling), right, poses with her predecessor Jennifer Megens from Durham Region. Veldman was the 2010 provincial Queen. (File photo)
By Denny Scott The Citizen The Huron County Queen of the Furrow moniker is a coveted title, generating interest from local women every year and testing their public speaking skills, interviewing talents, ability to think on the fly and, of course, plowing prowess. The competition includes a private interview with judges, a prepared speech, an impromptu speech and plowing, alongside young 4-H competitors as their coaches. The winners compete for the Ontario Queen of the Furrow crown at the International Plowing Match, which is accompanied by a $2,400 bursary and a car for use during the Queen’s reign, which includes fuel consumption and expenses incurred during that time. The Ontario Queen attends promotional events for the IPM and Rural Expo. Local Queens also represent their
plowing associations in parades and at agricultural events. Huron County has a long list of Queens starting with Doreen Taylor. Then Doreen Howatt, Taylor was named Huron County’s first Queen of the Furrow in 1960, setting the tone for challengers who followed. Taylor’s reign was a little longer than anticipated, however, with inclement weather stopping the crowning of subsequent competitors in 1961, 1962 and 1963. The late Amy Beccario, then Stewart, was named Huron County Queen in 1964 and held the crown for three years before Bonnie Fortune (née Stewart) claimed it in 1967. Mary Brady, then Leeming, captured back-to-back wins in 1968 and 1969 before Connie Black (née Hickey) won in 1970. Irma Pryce (née Bernard) won in 1971. The late Marilyn Cruickshank (née Robertson) won in 1972,
Taylor set the stage Continued from page 12 greatly over the years, she said. In the early days, contestants didn’t have any help and the competition has grown so much to where it is today. To have been instrumental in the beginning of a program that not only promotes strong women in agriculture, but also the high quality of life offered in Huron County is a relationship that Taylor says have given her so much pride. “The cities just don’t give it all to you. Country life is the life for me,” Taylor said. She said that connecting people with this part of the world, to learn about the way of life in a rural setting and to educate them on where their food comes from is such an important task and one that’s becoming more important as that disconnect grows. As for the Queen of the Furrow competition specifically, Taylor says she can’t speak highly enough about it. Taylor encourages all of Huron County’s young women to participate in the process, saying that when she took part it was one of the best things she’s ever done in her life. Between the friends you make and the skills and experience you collect, Taylor said it’s something that can
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PAGE 14. HURON COUNTY PLOWING MATCH, AUGUST 2020.
Hendriks claims inaugural Princess crown at IPM both an administrative and a logistical side. Hendriks truly benefitted from being involved with the club thanks to the regular history lessons from long-time 4-H leader and plowing match judge Don Dodds, who served as one of the leaders of the club. Hendriks said that Dodds filled the club members with knowledge of Huron County history and stories from past IPMs that served her well. Hendriks said she was nervous for the IPM competition and that being the first contestant to speak that day didn’t help. But, in the end, she was relieved to speak first. Not only did she get it out of the way, but she was the first to mention a number of topics, so she set the tone. When she was being crowned by George and Ruth Townsend, her mind went back to something
George had told her over a month earlier. When she was crowned the Huron County Princess, George told her that “she better win” the provincial crown the first time it was up for grabs, especially since it was happening in Huron County. She said she was happy to have made the Townsends proud, not to mention the numerous family members she had in the audience, including her grandparents. She hopes that what she’s done has provided a bit of a path for future Princesses to follow and that it will be easier for Princesses in the future. As for the whole reason for the Princess competition, to prepare participants for the Queen of the Furrow competition, Hendriks says it has succeeded and she hopes to one day compete in the Queen competition.
The first in history Brooklyn Hendriks, left, earned the first provincial Princess crown at the International Plowing Match held in Walton in 2017. Hendriks was one of 15 competitors vying for the title and was crowned by Ruth and George Townsend who pushed for the creation of the Huron County Princess competition, making it a reality 15 years ago. (File photo)
By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen In September of 2017, Huron County made history with the crowning of the first-ever International Plowing Match (IPM) Princess in Walton. The icing on the cake was that it was Brooklyn Hendriks, Huron County’s representative, who rose above her 14 other competitors to earn the historic crown. In the previous 99 IPMs held in Ontario, a Princess competition had never been held. It was in Walton in 2017, at the 100th IPM, that a Princess competition was first held at the provincial level. This would have been the 15th year the Huron County Plowmen’s Association held a Princess competition. It was first spearheaded by George and Ruth Townsend 12 years before Hendriks was crowned on that warm day in Walton, culminating in over a decade of hard work and celebration
Klaver to stay on as HC Queen Continued from page 13 (née Sparling) won the crown in 2008. Stacey Reinsma claimed the crown in 2009 followed by Lindsay Underwood (née Willits) in 2010 and Samantha Klaver in 2011. Kayla Bishop was named Queen in 2012. Jackie McMurray (née Kernighan) was named Queen in 2013, followed by Ursina Studhalter in 2014. Kate Higgins won in 2015 followed by Marion Studhalter in 2016 and Kara Hendriks in 2017. In 2018, Loretta Higgins was crowned, followed by 2019 Queen Maranda Klaver who has pledged to stay on due to COVID-19 cancelling the plowing match this year. In the history of the International Plowing Match, Huron County has had three Queens ascend to the rank of provincial Queen; the late Amy Beccario (née Stewart) who reigned in 1966-67, Lynne Godkin (née Dodds) who reigned in 1984-85 and Melissa Veldman (née Sparling), Huron’s most recent Queen, who reigned in 2010-11.
of the young women of Huron County. While it was Hendriks who wore the crown at the end of the day, it was equally special for the Townsends, who teared up as they spoke on the stage that day. The number of phone calls Ruth has made to recruit smart young women for the competition would number in the hundreds and George, a former plowing coach, has always been supportive of young people in local plowing matches. George said that seeing the Princess competition on the IPM stage had always been his dream and, as he fought back tears, he said that his dream had turned out to be a pretty good one. After all 15 contestants presented their speeches to the judges – Tim Prior of Brussels, Ruth MacLean from Kingston and Pam Emmott from Princeton – the top five were chosen and those contestants then gave a short, impromptu speech, based on a question they were asked by the event’s emcee. The final five contestants were Hendriks, Brynn Depencier from Chatham-Kent, Abbey Cocking from Haldimand County, Alexandra Carkner from Leeds County and
Rebecca vanDonkersgoed from Oneida. After nearly a half-hour of deliberation on an extremely hot day, the judges returned with their decision that Hendriks would be the one to wear the crown. Prevailing on home soil, Hendriks said, made her particularly proud. This was her match, she said, and that made her want to win it just that little bit more. Hendriks was determined to win in Huron County in 2017, especially knowing that a win there would lead to a shot at the first-ever provincial crown at the IPM. In the 2017 Huron County competition, Hendriks competed against 11 other young women, which she says made her rather nervous. Not only were there a dozen competitors vying for the crown, but she knew many of them from school, 4-H or from the community. She then spent the rest of the summer as the president of the special Huron County-wide IPM 4H Club. The club formed with just under 20 members with the goal of hosting the county’s 4-H Club tent at the IPM. Those who participated learned about hosting an event from
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Shortreed makes Huron history with sulky plow Jordan Shortreed was the first and, thus far, only Junior Plower in Huron County in recent memory to take on sulky plowing and he took it on in a big way, having captured the championship for the event at the International Plowing Match in Chatham-Kent in 2018. Shortreed, a Walton-area native, started in sulky plowing, a onebottom hand-guided plow pulled
under the power of a team of animals versus using a tractor, in 2017. He placed fourth at the IPM in Walton in 2017 and returned to the competition the following year to capture first place. “It felt pretty good,” he said. Shortreed, who was competing against his father in the 2018 IPM, said he had watched the activity for years, and always enjoyed it, so he
Princess event turns 15
Extended reign Grace Hallahan, seated, has had her reign as Huron County Princess extended due to COVID-19. (File photo) For 15 years the Huron County Plowmen’s Association has hosted an annual Princess competition, a relative rarity in the plowing match circuit. The event, part of the annual Huron County Plowing Match, started with George and Ruth, alongside the rest of the Townsend family, in 2005. The family company, M.G.M. Townsend Tire, sponsored the event and has continued to make it a success year after year. It wasn’t until recently that Ruth Townsend, who has been a major part of the event, handed the reins to other organizers. Other sponsors have also come on over the years. The competition is designed as a feeder program for the annual Huron County Queen of the Furrow Competition, also held at the plowing match. Like the county Queen competition, the Princess competition calls on contestants to give a short speech related to agriculture, displaying public speaking skills and go through an interview process with three judges.
decided to try his hand at it. “Brian McDonald from Winthrop taught me,” he said. “He’s the reason I started practising with it [he] showed me how to get the plow set up.” Sulky plowing in the competition was a new experience for Shortreed, both because he was somewhat new to sulky plowing but also because he was new to competitive plowing in general. “I had only plowed on our farm and never done it competitively,” he said. “I like working with the horses and driving them. I’d rather drive a team of horses than drive a tractor.” To help him compete, the Huron Plowmen’s Association donated a plow to Shortreed with the understanding that he would pass it to the next Junior Plower who wanted to try their hand at sulky plowing. Shortreed, shortly after the win, said he planned to keep on going, saying he enjoys it, though the IPM does represent the pinnacle of the competition as there is no national sulky plowing. “I’m going to keep on doing it because I like it,” he said.
A helping hand Jordan Shortreed, right, has become the unofficial steward of the Huron County sulky plow. He was given the plow to compete in, and win, the Junior International Plowing Match sulky competition in 2018 with the understanding he would pass it on to the next junior competitor to take up the unique plowing style. (File photo)
The competition went provincewide in 2017 when the 100th International Plowing Match was held in Walton. Organizers created a Princess of the Furrow competition, welcoming competitors from county plowing matches. Huron County’s own Brooklyn Hendriks brought home the inaugural first-place prize. Winners of the county Princess competition are as follows: • 2005 - Jory Martin (née Willits) • 2006 - Heather Gibson • 2007 - Kabrina Bishop • 2008 - Michelle Studhalter • 2009 - Laura Higgins • 2010 - Mary Paige St. Onge • 2011 - Lexi Smith • 2012 - Maranda Klaver • 2013 - Tiffany Deitner • 2014 - Natalie Fear • 2015 - Emily Terpstra • 2016 - Irelyn St. Onge • 2017 - Brooklyn Hendriks • 2018 - Jaden Shortreed • 2019 - Grace Hallahan The 2019 winner, Grace Hallahan, will have an extended reign due to COVID-19 and serve from 2019 through to when the 2021 Princess is crowned.
Best Wishes to the Huron County Plowmens Association
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PAGE 16. HURON COUNTY PLOWING MATCH, AUGUST 2020.
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