International Plowing Match
Last weekend I went to the International Plowing Match & Rural Expo, the IPM. It’s a big deal in Ontario, held in the eastern pier of the province one year, the western part the next year, and so on. Our Ontario members have probably heard of the IPM. This year it was held in Chatham-Kent.
Whiles there are many, many exhibitors and a lot of really neat old tech - tractors, threshers, and so on - I went to see horses at work. Here are a few photos.
One of the few wheeled plows.
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A close-up.
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This team of a bay(?) and a dapple grey fascinated me.
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The working end of a plow.
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A team working its plot.
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At work and coming back.
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Their work looks pretty good to this untrained eye.
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Another handsome pair.
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I wanted to smell horse, to pat and stroke and bury my nose in a horses’ flank. I didn’t because it seemed inappropriate - these horses were here to work.
Helicopter rides were available.
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A cool old fire truck.
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The hood ornament.
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The Canadian Cowgirls are an equine demonstration team based in C-K that performs across the continent. I got to the arena after they began their routine and had to stand at the back of the crowd, holding my camera as high as possible and shooting blind.
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This was the first IPM I have attended. I was overwhelmed after only few hours. It seems you need two days to take one in so I will likely go again. That would be fine with Faye - I did a poor job of collecting swag this year so she, erm, 'offered' to show me how it's done at a future IPM.