Description
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A close up of P20151, Carl Willis of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI), watches the plow blades during a trial run on his tractor and plow on the Sumas Buckerfield’s farm, at the corner of Campbell and Dixon Roads. A FORD sign is on the tractor seat, with a Netherlands stamp on the arm holding the blades to the tractor attachment, and the far right plow blade has a 12" stamp on its arm. The second plow, visible in the foreground, has Azdrek Special stamped on the arm of the plow blade. There is also snow covering the hills in the background. Mr Willis entered the Canadian plowing championship contest for the third time. The 15th Annual Canadian Centennial Plowing Match was held at the Buckerfield's Farm in Sumas for three days, April 12-14. Les Russell of Rosedale was the manager of the event. The weather almost stalled the entire event, with mixed weather including rain, hail, snow and gusting winds several days prior to the event. Muddy conditions in some parts of the site forced minor alterations in the layout, including having visitors park on Dixon Road instead of the field as planned. Members of the 4-H Holstein Club operated the tractors and flat decks to transport visitors to various parts of the grounds. The official opening by Agricultural Minister Honorable Frank Richter was scheduled for noon. Members of the Royal Canadian Engineers band provided music for the ceremony. Competition in the BC Championship class opened at 8:30am on April 13th and concluded in the afternoon, after the six contestants, J J Andrews and Charlie Hawton of Chilliwack, Joe Saville and Whaley Mar of Saanich and Archie Stevenson of Cowichan Station competed against the champion Tom Hickman of Chilliwack, who has won the event several times. Tom Hickman would come in second with a score of two points less than the winner. Two of these men were then chosen to represent the province in the national competition on the 14th. Henry Weidkamp, of Lynden, WA, demonstrated a traditional method of plowing on the first day of the match, using a span of oxen with a combined weight of approximately 5,400 pounds. Richard Malloway of Sardis, and some of his people, provided additional colour during the two days of activities by appearing in full Indian ceremonial dress. Also set for the opening day was the Washington State tractor plowing class, where United States Plowing Competition rules were followed. Young people in the tractor plowing competition were also highlighted on the first day, together with a Business Men’s Tractor Plowing class and a new class especially for bank managers and ex-bank manager of British Columbia. Competitors representing the other Canadian provinces were: Edwin Mills and Dr Carl B Wills of Prince Edward Island (PEI), Allison Briggs and Gary Gray from New Brunswick, Yvone Belisle and Ange Aime Leduc from Quebec, Robert Armstrong and Keith Robinson from Ontario, Alfred J Poole and E R "Mickey" Denman from Manitoba, and Elmer Nelson and Andrew Oranchuk from Saskatchewan. There were not any entries from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland or Alberta. Following the match, a plowmen’s banquet was held in Chilliwack, which prizes were also awarded. The two-day event was staged by the Canadian Plowing Council and the BC Plowing Council, with the cooperation of the Canadian Confederation Centennial Committee of British Columbia.
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