HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-02-23, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017.
Countdown to IPI?JI,
Townsends have rich history with plowing, IPM
Plowing together
The Townsend family has a lot of experience with plowing and with the International Plowing
Match (IPM). Whether it's Matt and Murray having earned accolades in their youth at every
level of plowing, Matt's son Lucas following in their footsteps or George and Ruth with their
experience attending and helping at the IPM, the Townsend clan has a wealth of experience
to draw upon to help make the 2017 IPM in Walton a success. From left: Jim O'Reilly, Charlene
O'Reilly, Dean O'Reilly, Ben O'Reilly, Mitchell Townsend, Lucas Townsend, Aimee Townsend,
Matt Townsend, Joey Townsend, John Townsend, Shae O'Reilly, George Townsend, Ruth
Townsend, Murray Townsend and Michelle Gross. (Photo submitted)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
For the Townsend family, the
International Plowing Match (IPM)
in Walton in 2017 will be an event
filled with firsts.
Starting with the youngest
generation, Lucas Townsend, of
Blyth will be plowing on his own for
the first time.
Lucas has made a name for
himself competing at the highest
levels of plowing in the area, earning
the top spot in the Class 2 Group 1
10-16 year-old two -furrow plowing
competition at the International
Plowing Match in 2015.
Lucas has been competing locally
and attending the IPM since he was
nine years old and made his way up
the ranks to the first place finish in
2015 with second and third place
finish at the IPMs in the two years
prior to that.
This year will be the first time he
is competing solo, having told his
long-time coach and grandfather
George Townsend that he wants to
tackle plowing on his own when he
competes at this year's IPM in front
of the hometown crowd.
His love of plowing can be traced
back to his father Matt and Uncle
Murray, who were inspired by their
own father, George, to get involved
in the competition.
"My uncle Murray and my dad
plowed," he said. "I heard about it
from them and I saw them and then I
saw some friends doing it and I got
hooked."
The connection goes further back
than that, according to Lucas' former
coach and grandfather George who
said his father, Elmer, was a "very
particular plower."
"That might have passed down,"
he said. "He didn't compete, but he
always had to make sure there was a
straight cut there."
Lucas started plowing and it
wasn't long before he joined the 4-H
Sodbusters Club to enjoy the
practice competitively. With both
his father Matt and uncle Murray
having competed at some point
in their life, including Matt being
Ontario Reserve Junior Champion
Murray placing first at the 1988
IPM and earning the right to
compete at the Canadian
Championship in Prince Edward
Island in 1989, it's little wonder
Opening doors
While competing at the International Plowing Match (IPM)
can introduce you to other plowers from across the
province and the world, it can also lead to other
encounters, just ask, from left, George, Lucas and Alex
Townsend. The trio met up with then -Liberal party Leader
and now -Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a recent
International Plowing Match. Lucas has learned to be a
competitive plower with the help of coach grandfather
George but this year, as the IPM is close to home, he is
striking out on his own to see what he can do in front of the
2017 Walton IPM crowd. (Fife photo)
Lucas feels so at home at the wheel
of a tractor.
While Matt says he wasn't the
most competitive plower in the
family, he has stepped up to be a
part of the International Plowing
Match in Walton this year, a first for
him.
Townsend is the chair of the RV
Park, overseeing a board of five
people and many other volunteers to
ensure the campsites provide a great
experience.
"This seemed like a good way to
give back to the community, and I
know I could do a better job than the
people in 1999 did," Matt said with a
laugh, as it was his parents George
and Ruth who ran the RV Park at the
1999 IPM in Huron County. "It was
an easy decision to make with the
list of volunteers that they had.
Everything is easier when you have a
good group to do it"
Matt said the fact that his father
and mother ran the park in 1999
played heavily into him choosing to
step up and help. He said the group
that he has helping is fantastic, but
he is always looking for more people
to chip in and help.
Giving people a place to stay is
important, according to both George
and Matt. The family was part of a
plowing match in 1982 where there
were no camping sites.
"We stayed at the Lucan arena
parking lot," George explained. "The
arena manager let us use the showers
and hook up. That guy was so good
to us, which was great because there
was no official camping option"
Staying in an arena parking lot in
1982 is a far cry from the 1,066
serviced camping sites Matt is in
charge of for the 2017 IPM. He said
60 per cent of the sites are currently
sold out.
Charlene O'Reilly, Matt's sister
Continued on page 11
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