Top plowmen named over weekend 

After four days of focused-concentration and attention to detail in the fiercely-competitive plowing competition, the judges' scores were tallied and the winners announced at last evening's Celebration of Excellence, held at the Orangeville Fairgrounds. 

Scott Thomas of Elmwood with 493 (also the winner of the Lloyd Vandusen Award) and Terry Linton of Roseneath with 468 points were named the Champion and Reserve Champion International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) Champion Horse Plow Person. 

There was a lot at stake during the match competition as this is where the Ontario Plowing Champion is named, earning the right to compete next year in the Canadian Plowing Championships in Wolfe Island, Kingston, Ontario next  August. Representing Ontario next year will be: 

Junior Champions: Austin Brodhaecker of Ayr with 572 points; and Alex Cameron of Owen Sound with 506.5 points (also the winner of the Barb McAllistir Memorial Scholarship) 

Ontario Championship Tractor Plowing with a Conventional Plow will be Brian Davenport of Owen Sound with 604.5 points; and Patrick Sanders of Alvinston with 585 points 

Ontario Championship Tractor Plowing with a Reversible Plow will be Daryl Hostrawser of East Garafraxa with 613 points; and  Bob Campsall of Cannington with 596 points 

The six Ontario representatives will be kitted out with a special hat and coat for the competition, presented to them by Helen and Michael Craig in memory of Graeme Craig, a long-time director with the Ontario Plowmen's Association. 

Other award winners included: Fred and Helen Davenport Memorial Award - Austin McLeod of Cottam; John S. Moffat Memorial Trophy - Richard Elliott of Strathroy, Champion and Reserve to Colin Doughtery of Scotland; IPM Champion Antique Award - Richard Elliott; and the  IPM Champion Tractor Award - Gene Gruber of Richmond, Champion and Reserve to Daryl Hostrawser. 

A new award presented for the very first time is the Brian Fried Memorial Trophy, donated by the many friends in the close-knit plowing community of the late plowing champion. Fried represented Canada at the World Plowing Championships an impressive ten times. This new award was presented by Fried's son, Nathan, and the winner is none other than Dufferin County's own hometown 2023 Ontario Championship Tractor Plowing winner in the reversible class, Daryl Hostrawser.