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Plowing is a family affair (19 photos)

With only a quick lesson the night before, Faith Coulter plowed her way to a win while her dad, with his broken foot, also brought home a win

The Annual St. Joseph Island Plowing Match has become a family tradition for many.

The Coulter family is no exception.

On Saturday as, not one or two, but three out of four members of the Coulter family won their respective classes with one winning top honours at the plowing match.

The plowing match, St. Joseph Island Plowmen's Association saw 14 competitors take to the field under threatening skies.

Perry Coulter won the Antique Class; his eldest daughter, Shelby, won the Women's Class while his youngest daughter, Faith, took the Junior Tractor (Class 15 and under).

Shelby also won the highest honour a plower can achieve at a local match level, the Best Plowed Land on the Field, while Faith, took the Best by a Junior.

Faith Coulter has been eager to join her family on the field for the past couple years. 

"It's a family tradition and I feel more a part of the family because I have been waiting a long time to get out here," she said adding her mother, Kim, plows and previously her grandfather, uncle and cousins have also competed.

For various reasons, Faith only a received a quick lesson on plowing the night before.

The youngest Coulter found the beginning and end of her land the most difficult to accomplish.

"The start was really hard," she said adding her personal goal is to produce straighter furrows and figure out her errors and fix them with more practice next year.

Shelby Coulter is super proud of her sister.

"She did better than I did my first year."

Shelby Coulter's name will be added to the Bernt Gilbertson Trophy joining a growing list of past field champions including her father.

Shelby praised her father for not only completing his own land but coaching four different people on the field that day and all with a broken foot.

"He (Perry) is good at what he does," Coulter said. "And I had a good neighbour (Jim Cruickshank) to plow against as long as I didn't mess up the finish."

Mathew Maguire of Spencerville, Ont. judged this year's match.

With more than 25 years judging experience, Maguire has seen a lot of land turned.

Growing up in a saw mill industry, Maguire said he never farmed a day in his life but plowing became a hobby for his family that regularly see four generations plow locally on the same field.

When he steps onto a field he focuses on an aspects of a score card.

"One that is predominant throughout the score card is straightness," he said. "Every time you look at it you want to see how straight it is. Also conformity, and whether it's the same depth and width. The prettier looks the better you like it, then keep working your way through the score card."

The beauty of judging local plowing matches, Maguire said is the opportunity to meet different people from different walks of life who are out to have some fun.

"One of the greatest things about being part of the Ontario Plowmen's Association is that it takes you to parts of rural Ontario that you wouldn't normally don't go," he said adding this year saw his first visit to St. Joseph Island.

Overall, Maguire said competitors were doing a, "great job."

Maguire was equally impressed with a wide range in age of competitors on the field.

"It's awesome to see," he said. 

Winners

Senior Tractor Class- Nathan Underhill.

Utility Class 3 or more furrows- Ross Armstrong

Senior Class- Jim Cruickshank

Specials

Best by a beginner- Faith Coulter. Second Best- Greg Gilbertson

Best Ins and Outs- Jim Cruickshank

Best Crown- Nathan Underhill

Best Opening split- Nathan Underhill

Best Finish- Shelby Coulter

Straightest furrow- Tom Murdock

Best Plowed Land in the Field- Shelby Coulter.

Second Best Plowed Landing in the field- Nathan Underhill

Oldest plower- Harold Kent, 90

Youngest plower- Faith Coulter,  12

Plowmen coming the farthest- Al Cameron and Nathan Underhill

Host Farm- Tom and Gail Murdock

Awards will be presented Oct. 15 at the Harmony St. Marks United Church Fellowship Hall.


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Donna Schell

About the Author: Donna Schell

Donna Schell is a longtime St. Joseph Island resident and freelance journalist who has been covering the Island and surrounding area for nearly two decades.
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