The Rural Voice, 1981-04, Page 9A winning tradition
Russell Bolton's hay has won nine years running. Will he ever lose?
Russell Bolton: an eye for seed.
BY HERB SHOVELLER
What do the Montreal Canadiens of the
50s and mid-70s, the Bronx Bombers of
the 20s, and Russell Bolton of the 70s
have in common?
World championships. Strings of them.
Men so well established at the top of their
professions they defy all challenges. And
of them all Bolton, a 79 -year-old retired
Winthrop farmer , has kept a firm grasp
on global honors longest - nine consecu-
tive years. He may not score SO goals in
50 games, and he may not point to where
his next home run will land. but as other
competitors at the Royal Agricultural
Winter Fair will attest, he can deliver
when it comes to top quality hay.
In what has become a November ritual
at the Royal since 1972. he again slipped
off with the top prize last tall, outclassing
$2 other entries in the hay category. His
winning streak is even more remarkable
considering he has retained the title from
the first competition he entered.
Bolton was a 70 -year-old rookie when
he was recruited by Russell Dallas of
Brucefield, a two-time winner himself in
the early 70s. "It started when Russell
(Dallas) and I met on the street after he'd
won," recounted the reigning champ.
"He wasn't going to do it anymore. so he
was going to teach me how to do it. He
taught two others too. just to make sure
Huron County would win."
The coach needn't have worried.
Bolton took over where Dallas left off.
and as of last year. Huron became home
of the hay winner for the 17th time in the
past 22 years. Bolton shares Dallas'
county loyalty. "The main reason 1 work
at this is to keep Huron County and
Seaforth in the news," explained Bolton
shortly after his ninth win. Prior to his
leap to the top, Bob Allan of Brucefield
(1962, 1963), Wilber Keyes of Varna
(1964), Bob Fotheringham of Seaforth
(1965, 1966) and Dallas of Brucefield
(1969, 1970) had brought the honors
home to Huron.
"Part of it is a desire to put up the best
hay sample," says Bolton's son Mac,
Bruce County ag. rep," and a lot of it is a
desire he has to keep the hay champion-
ship in Huron County."
One clue to the hay champ's success
lies in his description of the preparation
for his first try. "The first sample went
bad and I had to prepare a second," he
said. "The first went off color, and 1
THE RURAL VOICE/APRIL 1981 PG. 7