Horse-drawn plowing contest April 9
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It’s spring and time to prepare the fields for planting this year’s crops. While most of us envision that big John Deere tractor turning the soil, less horsepower can also be a beautiful thing to see. On Saturday, April 9, contestants will gather at Carriage Hill Farm near Dayton for the 8th annual Ohio Horse Plowing Contest.
Started by the Ohio Horse and Mule Group in 2003, this contest was first held as a part of the Farm Science Review at London. The Ohio Horse and Mule Group was founded by Highland County cousins Gary Hopkins and Dean Hopkins. For the last three years, the contest has since been continued by Carriage Hill Farm staff.
If you have not been to Carriage Hill, you are in for a treat. It is one of 25 parks in the Five Rivers Metroparks system, located around Montgomery County, Ohio. It covers almost 1000 acres. More than 100 acres are farmed with horses, based on the farming practices from the 1880’s. It is a wonderful living history site with two homesteads and buildings. The farm is open to the public, free of charge, all year long.
There are currently 13 contestants who will plow on April 9. There are five classes: antique plow, walking plow, 2-horse sulky plow, 3-horse sulky plow, and gang plow (5 or more horses). Plowing will start at 10 a.m. and continue through most of the day. Food will be available at a very nominal charge.
Contestants will be coming from all over Ohio. Local contestants will include Roger Vogel from Georgetown, Donnie Ryan and Garine Shoemaker from Seaman, and Mike McCormick from New Vienna. Percheron and Belgian draft horses and mules will be used to plow. Winners in this contest will compete in the U.S. contest held at Carriage Hill on Labor Day weekend.
To get to Carriage Hill Farm, take U.S. 68 through Xenia and turn left on S. R. 235. Take a right onto I-675, then left (west towards Indianapolis) on I-70. The exit number for Carriage Hill off I-70 is #38. Turn right and go about ½ mile and turn into the entrance for the park. If you are using a GPS, the address is 7800 East Shull Road, Dayton, OH.
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