International Plowing Match: Past and Present

Have you ever attended a plowing match?

In 1999, I attended the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) in Dashwood, Ontario along with tens of thousands of visitors. It was quite spectacular! This year's event is being held in Chatham-Kent near Pain Court, Ontario. It runs September 18-22.



It's not just about plowing furrows either! At the International Plowing Match you can check out square dancing tractors, the "Future of Farming" tent, music, art, antiques and even Guinness World Record attempts.

Andrew MacRobbie demonstrates the horse-drawn plow event in Meaford, Ontario, 1987

Origin and Vintage Images

In 1911, a group of plowmen local to York fully conceived of The International Plowing Match. The first two International Matches in 1913 and 1914 were situated on Sunnybrook Farm, Toronto, York County. Since then, it has been hosted across Ontario. (Here's a list of communities that have previously held the Match and Rural Expo.) Getting to host the match is a boon for rural communities. The 2018 match will mark the third time Chatham-Kent has been the host. It hosted in 1919 and again in 1979.

Farm show harvests fine crop of visitors in Stratford, Ontario, 1988

Pattern of plows, International Plowing Match in Oshawa, Ontario, 1975

Due to World War Two the International Plowing Match did not take place from 1942-1945. The first match after the war was held in 1946 at an airfield in Goderich, Ontario .

Spectators at the first match since the war in Goderich, Ontario, 1946

Below is an award ribbon that would have been presented during the 1917 IPM held at Oak Park Stock Farm, Brantford, Brant County.

Award ribbon from Brantford, Ontario, 1917

Resources

Ontario's agricultural history is long and rich. (You can also explore this topic in Toronto Public Library's Digital Archive!) The International Plowing Match is an opportunity to experience some of it. If you're looking for an overnight road trip destination at the end of summer, I'd recommend a trip to Pain Court, Ontario to visit the 2018 International Plowing Match Festivities.

And for those who want to get a feel for the nitty-gritty rules for the competitions, look no further than this excerpt from the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo 2018 Rules and Regulations: