The Rural Voice, 1982-09, Page 10Duncan Carmichael of R.R.3, 1lderton, a spry 88 -years old, was host farmer for Middlesex County's last International Plowing Match,
held in 1928. He recalls his hardest work during the match was keeping the Women's Institute food tent supplied with milk cans full of
hot water 10 wash dishes !Iced hr some of the 90,000 visitors to the event.
(photo by Gibb)
The International Plowing Match
1928
and 1982
by Alice Gibb
Duncan Carmichael, of R.R.3, Ilder-
ton, is still relieved it was strictly a
once-in-alifetime opportunity. Lucan's
Allan Scott, who hasn't really been
through the mill yet, says with a grin,
"the little bit of extra work hasn't
contaminated me yet."
The unique experience shared by the
two Middlesex County farmers, although
the experiences are a half century apart, is
acting as host farmer for an International
Plowing Match.
In 1928, the witty Mr. Carmichael, who
recently celebrated his 88th birthday, and
his brother were hosts of what proved to
be the most successful event in the 15
years history of international matches.
PG. 10 THE RURAL VOICE/SEPTEMBER
The four-day event, held on the 400 -acre
Carmichael farm, 10 miles north of
London, managed to shatter all previous
attendance records for plowing compe-
titions. Reporters covering the event
couldn't come up with enough superla-
tives to describe the crowds.
Now 54 years later, Middlesex County
is staging its second International Plowing
Match on the Scott farm, on Lucan's west
outskirts. The tented city will occupy 44
hectares alone (yes, even plowing matches
are going metric) and match organizers
hope Londoners, as well as rural visitors,
can be persuaded to experience the
excitement of the match.
Now while the 1928 and 1982 matches
1982
will be startingly different from a
technological point of view alone, the two
host farmers share several similarities.
Ironically, neither Carmichael or Scott
has ever competed in a plowing match
himself, or belonged to a plowmen's
association. Scott insists he isn't even
tempted to learn the art for opening day
of the 1982 match. "I'm going to stay
away from plowing, I don't want to be
embarassed," he declares with a smile.
The men's tales of just how they
happened to become host farmers are also
strikingly alike. Carmichael recalls how
someone just stopped by the farm one day
and asked the brothers if they'd mind
lending their land for the event. The