United States Horse-Drawn Plowing Competition Sept. 1-2

By LYNN NEAL
For The Highland County Press

Looking for something to do before the county fair starts? Located just an hour and a half drive from Hillsboro is an opportunity for you to step back in time and enjoy a slower pace.

The United States Horse-Drawn Plowing Competition will be held again this year at Carriage Hill Farm near Dayton on Labor Day weekend, in conjunction with the park's Draft Horse days. This year's dates are Sept. 1-2.

For the past eight years, beginning in 2004, plowing participants and spectators both stop back in time to the 1880s. Carriage Hill Farm, one of several parks operated by the Dayton MetroParks System, is an oasis of about 900 acres near Dayton.

After exiting Interstate 70 west at Exit 38, traveling north one mile on Route 201, driving through thriving businesses, new construction and convenience stores, you enter a time warp that takes you back to the 1880s.

The Daniel Arnold family, German Brethren who traveled from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in the 1830s, settled the original homestead. Their first house was a log cabin previously built on the site.

Six years after settling, the Arnold 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. The heritage of these early settlers is being restored as a living demonstration of the lifestyle enjoyed by a conservative farm family of the 1880s.

Two cousins, Dean Hopkins of Hillsboro and Gary Hopkins of Lynchburg, started the Ohio, United States and North American Plowing Competitions.

They formed a group called the Ohio Horse and Mule Group and set up the first Ohio contest. Members of the Harness and Hitch driving group, whose members live in south central Ohio, have assisted them.

The first competition to determine the teamsters who would "plow off" for the Ohio title was held at Carriage Hill. The Ohio contest was held the next three years at the Farm Science Review. Carriage Hill hosted the U.S. Plowing Contest in 2005 and since has hosted the Ohio, U.S. and North American contests.

On Saturday, Sept. 1, a fun day will be held. Visitors to Carriage Hill Farm that weekend, many from the city, are able to interact with teamsters and their horses, enjoy the friendly competition, take a ride in a horse-drawn wagon and reminisce about their fathers' or grandfathers' work horses and time spent on the farm.

On Sunday, Sept. 2, friendly rivals will carefully mark their plots, set their plows and do their best plowing for "bragging rights" as the best U.S. plowman/woman. (Yes, ladies do plow!)

Many different breeds of animals are used in these competitions. In the past, Belgians, Clydesdales, Percherons, Brabants, Spotted Drafts, Haflinger draft ponies and mules have been used to plow. These animals are always beautifully cared for and are magnificent to watch in action.

Types of competitions include walking plow, two horse sulky plow, three horse sulky plow and gang plow (four horses or more).

Contestants will be coming from West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Local plowmen include Tim Roush of the Mowrystown area and Donnie Ryan and Garin Shoemaker of Seaman.

Please mark your calendars and plan to visit Carriage Hill and all that it has to offer. There is no admission charge. There are food and refreshments available every day at a very nominal charge.

There are numerous buildings to tour, lots of animals to see and a museum and gift shop featuring an old-fashioned candy store. Come step back in time and enjoy a slower pace and a beautiful place.

For more information or directions, please call Gary Hopkins at (937) 725-9894; Bill Kuhnell at (937) 783-3545; or Galen Neal at (937) 763-0636.