Local men compete in annual Horse Plowing Contest
Lead Summary
By
Lynn Neal-
The Ohio and United States Horse Plowing Competition was held Saturday, Aug. 31 and Sunday, Sept. 1, respectively, at Carriage Hill MetroPark near Dayton. Carriage Hill bills this as "Draft Horse Days" and holds several special events during this weekend.
Carriage Hill is an 1880s living history village operated by the Dayton MetroParks System. Carriage Hill currently consists of 900 acres. The Daniel Arnold family, German Brethren who traveled from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, settled the original homestead. Their first home was a log cabin already located on the property, but six years later, the family built a brick house from clay dug on the property. The Dayton-Montgomery County Park District acquired the original brick home, outbuildings and barns in 1968. Carriage Hill has been hosting the plowing contests since 2004.
On Saturday, Ohio teamsters competed for state awards. Local men competing included Tim Roush of Hillsboro and Donnie Ryan of Seaman. On Sunday, Ohio's winners squared off with the U.S. contestants. States represented were Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. The three judges were Lee Ruff of Fletcher, Ohio, Matt Hickey of Staunton, Va. and Barney Traylor of Hillsdale, Mich.
The weekend schedule included a Saturday pancake breakfast served at the Visitors Center by the Friends of Carriage Hill, with plowing beginning at 10 a.m. A carry-in dinner was held at 6 p.m., and Ohio awards were presented. On Sunday, after the pancake breakfast, church services were held in the Daniel Arnold Barn, with Rev. Oren Perdue of Salisbury, Md. conducting the services. At 10 a.m., the plowing competition began. The U.S. awards were given out at approximately 3 p.m.
One highlight of the weekend was the gang plowing by Phil Hudson and Roy Hatcher of Newton Grove and Council, N.C. They drove up in a semi-tractor trailer hauling 14 horses and mules. Hudson plowed with six gray Percherons, and Hatcher plowed with six mules.
Contestants were judged on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being excellent and one being poor, on the following categories: depth of furrow, straightness of furrow, headland, levelness of bottom of furrow, cleanliness of sidewall of furrow, throwing out of land, straightness of ends, cleanliness of dead land or dead furrow, amount plowed within flags and teamstership and sportsmanship.
The Ohio awards were:
• Antique Plow class: first, Tim Roush of Hillsboro, 230; second, Harold Lacky of Greenville, 227; third, Donnie Ryan of Seaman, no score.
• Walking Plow class: first, George Miller of Pedro, 248.
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• 2-Horse Sulky Plow Class: first, David Wilson of Willow Wood, 252; second, Doris Mosher of Marengo, 213.
• 3-Horse Sulky Plow Class: first, Mike Atkins of Stockdale, 264; second, Scott Link of Ft. Recovery, 230.
There were no gang plows in the Ohio contest.
The High Point Award went to Mike Atkins with 264 points. Atkins received a $200 gift certificate from Pioneer Equipment in Dalton. The novice award went to Harold Lacky.
The U.S. awards were:
Antique Plow Class: first, Tim Roush of Hillsboro, 239; second, Shanen Mannies of Logansport, Ind., 223; third, Mike Downs, Olympia, Ky., 213.
Walking Plow Class: first, George Fuller of Pedro, 261; second, Mark Watkins of Parkersburg, W.Va., 234; third, Paul Perdue, Jr. of Laurel, Del., 212.
2-Horse Sulky Plow Class: first, Shanen Mannies of Logansport, Ind., 260; second, Bobby Jones of Owingsville, Ky., 251; third, David Wilson of Willow Wood, Ky., 242; fourth, Carl Radcliff of Mineral Wells, W.Va., 226; fifth, Roy Hatcher of Council, N.C., 216; sixth, Paul Perdue, Sr. of Salisbury, Md., 194.
3-Horse Sulky Plow Class: first, Mike Atkins of Stockdale, Ohio, 267; second, Mike Downs of Olympia, Ky., 244; third, Phil Hudson of Newton Grove, N.C., 220.
Gang Plow: first, Roy Hatcher of Council, N.C., 209; second, Phil Hudson of Newton Grove, N.C., 203.
The high point award went to Mike Atkins of Stockdale with 267 points. Atkins received a $300 gift certificate from Pioneer Equipment in Dalton.
Carriage Hill is an 1880s living history village operated by the Dayton MetroParks System. Carriage Hill currently consists of 900 acres. The Daniel Arnold family, German Brethren who traveled from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, settled the original homestead. Their first home was a log cabin already located on the property, but six years later, the family built a brick house from clay dug on the property. The Dayton-Montgomery County Park District acquired the original brick home, outbuildings and barns in 1968. Carriage Hill has been hosting the plowing contests since 2004.
On Saturday, Ohio teamsters competed for state awards. Local men competing included Tim Roush of Hillsboro and Donnie Ryan of Seaman. On Sunday, Ohio's winners squared off with the U.S. contestants. States represented were Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. The three judges were Lee Ruff of Fletcher, Ohio, Matt Hickey of Staunton, Va. and Barney Traylor of Hillsdale, Mich.
The weekend schedule included a Saturday pancake breakfast served at the Visitors Center by the Friends of Carriage Hill, with plowing beginning at 10 a.m. A carry-in dinner was held at 6 p.m., and Ohio awards were presented. On Sunday, after the pancake breakfast, church services were held in the Daniel Arnold Barn, with Rev. Oren Perdue of Salisbury, Md. conducting the services. At 10 a.m., the plowing competition began. The U.S. awards were given out at approximately 3 p.m.
One highlight of the weekend was the gang plowing by Phil Hudson and Roy Hatcher of Newton Grove and Council, N.C. They drove up in a semi-tractor trailer hauling 14 horses and mules. Hudson plowed with six gray Percherons, and Hatcher plowed with six mules.
Contestants were judged on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being excellent and one being poor, on the following categories: depth of furrow, straightness of furrow, headland, levelness of bottom of furrow, cleanliness of sidewall of furrow, throwing out of land, straightness of ends, cleanliness of dead land or dead furrow, amount plowed within flags and teamstership and sportsmanship.
The Ohio awards were:
• Antique Plow class: first, Tim Roush of Hillsboro, 230; second, Harold Lacky of Greenville, 227; third, Donnie Ryan of Seaman, no score.
• Walking Plow class: first, George Miller of Pedro, 248.
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• 2-Horse Sulky Plow Class: first, David Wilson of Willow Wood, 252; second, Doris Mosher of Marengo, 213.
• 3-Horse Sulky Plow Class: first, Mike Atkins of Stockdale, 264; second, Scott Link of Ft. Recovery, 230.
There were no gang plows in the Ohio contest.
The High Point Award went to Mike Atkins with 264 points. Atkins received a $200 gift certificate from Pioneer Equipment in Dalton. The novice award went to Harold Lacky.
The U.S. awards were:
Antique Plow Class: first, Tim Roush of Hillsboro, 239; second, Shanen Mannies of Logansport, Ind., 223; third, Mike Downs, Olympia, Ky., 213.
Walking Plow Class: first, George Fuller of Pedro, 261; second, Mark Watkins of Parkersburg, W.Va., 234; third, Paul Perdue, Jr. of Laurel, Del., 212.
2-Horse Sulky Plow Class: first, Shanen Mannies of Logansport, Ind., 260; second, Bobby Jones of Owingsville, Ky., 251; third, David Wilson of Willow Wood, Ky., 242; fourth, Carl Radcliff of Mineral Wells, W.Va., 226; fifth, Roy Hatcher of Council, N.C., 216; sixth, Paul Perdue, Sr. of Salisbury, Md., 194.
3-Horse Sulky Plow Class: first, Mike Atkins of Stockdale, Ohio, 267; second, Mike Downs of Olympia, Ky., 244; third, Phil Hudson of Newton Grove, N.C., 220.
Gang Plow: first, Roy Hatcher of Council, N.C., 209; second, Phil Hudson of Newton Grove, N.C., 203.
The high point award went to Mike Atkins of Stockdale with 267 points. Atkins received a $300 gift certificate from Pioneer Equipment in Dalton.