1962

1962
President Clare Hartley and V.P.Ed Eddy attended the OPA convention in Feb.1962. John Hargreaves, Ed Hansuld, Clare Hartley and Secretary Don Taylor approached County Council for a $600 grant; The treasury had only $20. At the Sept.5th meeting to revise the prize list, it was decided to: Omit the Inter Township Special class, not pay prize money for best crown and finish unless there is a minimum of at least three entries, seek specials from businesses to reduce cash outlay. William C. Barrie and George Haustrauser were sought to judge. (Will Barrie and John Hargreaves were judges). Horseshoe pitching was back. It was recommended to have a fire fighting demonstration, a non farmers plowing class, minimum age of twelve for plowing classes, and judges start earlier in the day and work individually.

IPM 1962 (49th Annual) was held near Owen Sound, Oct.8-11, on the farm of Norman Barber. Charles Bonney from Princeton placed third in the Ontario championship class.
(S.Review, Oct.11, pg 2); Windsor's mayor won an award and Barbara Cunnington from Peel County was named Ontario Queen of the Furrow.

Blenheim Township Plowing Match, held Thursday, Oct.18 (printed Friday, Oct.19, pg.2, S.Review) on the farm of Merle Coleman, R1, Plattsville.

The Oxford County Match, 1962, was held on the farm of Ben Sturris, R3, Woodstock. There were 30 entries, 26 in tractors, 4 in the horse class. Class 4, for boys and girls, 17 years and under had 13 entries, making it necessary to divide the class, one for boys under 15, and the other for boys 15, 16, and 17. Bill Eddy, R3, Woodstock won the youngest plowman
(nine years old), third in his class, plus the award for best finish. The North Oxford Women's Institute catered for the event. Cecil Wells was acclaimed Oxford Plow Champion, winning the East Zorra Memorial Trophy for the third successive year.
A party was held for Norman Watson, outgoing Associate Agriculture Representative and Bill Baxter came in.

The Annual Meeting 1962, of Oxford Plowmen was held Dec.7th with 15 members present. Bank balance was $48.24. The East Zorra Memorial Trophy was discussed. Grenzebach and Ed Hansuld suggested refinishing it before 1963. A new base was added. Bob Milne suggested new competitors shouldn't be allowed to plow in future plow matches under the age of twelve. This was carried. Bob was never able to teach his grandchildren to count to ten using his fingers because he had only nine. When he was a wee lad his brother chopped one off with an axe while they chopped firewood. Bob conducted the election of officers for 1963. They were: Past President, Clare Hartley; President, Ed Eddy, 1st Vice, Art Dale; 2nd Vice, Robert Ewen; secretary, Don Taylor; treasurer, Norm Shelton. Gordon Dyer and Bill Muir came on as new directors. Honorary directors were Gordon Innes, M.L.A., Wallace Nesbitt and Warden of Oxford. A grant of $700 was requested from County Council. Oil dealers and farm suppliers were to provide specials. Innerkip W.I. to cater. CIL to provide a tent.

1962 clippings

1961 clippings

1961

1961
Clare Hartley and Ed Eddy (pres. & vice-pres.) attended the OPA convention in Toronto Feb.20 and 21st. Mr. Hargreaves and Secretary Don Taylor were to approach County Council for the $600 grant. The president, vice-president, and 2nd Vice-President Art Dale were responsible for locating a site, and Clare Hartley's father's farm was chosen. The Tractor Club and R.J. Milne arranged a tractor driving competition. Implement companies were invited to exhibit and demonstrate at the match. A utility class (#8) was included with regular classes, plowing to be completed in two hours (speed plowing). If there were less than three entries in this class, the two top prizes were to be reduced by $5 each. Horseshoe pitching was dropped, but the plow team class and the horse show continued. Prize money for the best crown and finish was not to be paid without there being at least two entries in a class. Direction signs were posted at the Governor's Road (#2Hwy) and the Tolgate Road.
Tavistock Gazette printed the prize lists. Stake day was Oct.25th. CIL was approached for the use of a tent and Ont.Hydro for a trailer.

World Champion Plowman

William Dixon, a dairy farmer, after winning the Ontario and Canadian plowing title in 1960 won the world championship at Grignon, France (Oct 1st),1961. He announced that he would be adjusting his plowing in future to his 200 acre farm near Brampton. "I'm finished" he said with a grin. "I've gone as far as I can go."

S.Review, Sept.29, 1961,pg.13- IPM Expected To Top All Records

Held in Hastings county near Belleville, Oct.4-7, farm of Farley Vermilyea and neighbouring farms.

S.Review, Oct.13th, 1961pg.9

Members of 30 4-H clubs from Oxford left Woodstock to compete in Inter-club competitions at OAC Guelph. Ken Innes, a member of this group, aspired to a Presbyterian minister and champion plowman. Born in 1942, he was ordained in 1969, went to Wanham, AB. for 6 years. While there, he started the Wanham plowing club, the first one in AB. It is still going. He then moved to Brussels, Ont. and for eight years was involved with plowing matches there. The rest of his life was spent in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He started plowing matches there also.
He competed in five Canadian Plowing Competitions. He passed away suddenly of a heart attack in 2013. Ken was the brother of Grant Innes of Embro.

The Annual meeting of Oxford Plowmen 1961

This meeting was held January 4th, 1962. The same officers were installed; Gordon Calder was a new director and W.O.Grenzebach came back on.

Further Newspaper cuttings

1958 onwards

On March 21st, 1958, the Oxford plowmen held their Annual meeting for 1957. Eight members were present. The treasurer reported a balance of $2668. An Oxford match was planned for 1958.The same officers as 1957 were reinstated.
July 12^th: Meeting, members present were: President, Lorne Richardson, Frank Manson, Ed Eddy(Art's father), Geo.Innes, Douglas Start, Wilfred Corp, Tom Pellow, and John Hargreaves for the purpose of holding a successful 1958 plowing match in Oxford. John Hargreaves felt it should be continued. Geo.Innes suggested we have only two open classes and the rest be limited to Oxford County plowmen. Wilfred Corp felt it should not have been dropped in 1957 without an open meeting and stated that if nobody was going to work at it, don't start it. The morale of the club was at its lowest.
It was decided to have an inter township class,-separate classes for those under 21 and those over 21 with the award going to the high three in each township. The prize list committee of John Hargreaves, Wilfred Corp, Lorne Richardson, Bud Kennedy, Doug Start, and Ed Eddy met on July 16th to revise the prize list. There were nine classes and a welding competition. The inter township class entrants may enter a class of their own choosing and two awards would be given, one for those over 21, and one for those under 21, as of Nov.1st,1958.
Don Karn was consulted regarding a junior farmer tug of war. A horse shoe pitching contest was organized. A field committee was named: Percy Wettlaufer, Wilfred Corp, Ed Hansuld, and Ed Eddy. The date was set for Oct.31st on the Ed Eddy farm on the 11th Line of East Zorra.(Lot 9, Conc.10)
Oct.24^th: Friday evening meeting, Enticknapp Co.at Drumbo were consulted regarding a tent, but Mrs.Geo.Thompson already had one from Oxford and District Cattle Breeders. All details were arranged, 21 foot lands were staked for horses and 42 foot lands for tractors. Clare Hartley, representing South Zorra Junior farmers arranged parking. The junior farmers were to be paid a small fee for their services as well as for parking cars at the Jackson farm 3 years previous where the match was held in 1955.
Oct.30^th: A diplomatic letter from Mr.Floyd A.Lashley came to Oxford secretary outlining rules and regulations of the OPA and hopes for Oxford's co-operation.
Dec.20: Annual Meeting.The treasury balance was down to $1740. New directors, Art Dale, Ralph McCutcheon, Jack Hargreaves, John E.King, and Grant Smith came on the board bringing the total up to fifteen as required by OPA rules.
Sept.28th: Meeting The 1959 Oxford match planned to be at Wesley Noack farm, RR2,Tavistock, 4 miles north of Hickson and one and one-half mile west.The welding competition was eliminated, tug of war for Junior farmers continued. The East Zorra Junior Farmers were in charge of parking under the command of Jack Wettlaufer (Percy's son). Mr.Ed Eddy offered the use of his farm for coaching day on Oct.17th. Marshall Deans of Paris to be the coach. Tavistock Gazette printed the prize list; the grounds committee met at the Noack farm at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 to stake out the lands.
Annual Meeting for 1959 was held 15 January 1960. Bob Milne was in attendance. The bank balance was down to $900. New directors were: Allan Innes, Roy Scott, and Bob Stephenson.
William Stone & Son supplied the tent in 1959. There was some delay in taking the tent down due to bad weather. The tent received some damages for which Stone and Co. were paid. William Stone&Co. bought large dead animals to manufacture glue from their skin and bones. Large farm horses were prized. In 1961, their name became CIL (Canadian Indusries Ltd).
Election of officers for 1960 followed: President, Wilfred Corp; 1st Vice Pres., Percy J.Wettlaufer; 2nd Vice Pres., Clare Hartley; Secretary, Robert E. Bell; Treasurer, Norman Shelton.
Directors: Art Dale, J. Hargreaves, Ed Eddy, Doug Start, Ed Hansuld, Bud Kennedy, Lorne Richardson, Ed Thornton, Wilfred Grenzebach, Jack Hargreaves, Dave Mitchell, Allan Innes, A.D. Robinson, Roy Scott, Bob Stephenson.

1960  Clare Hartley, one of those attending the OPA convention in Toronto, said more stress was being placed on Junior matches and the pull type plow was being replaced by mounted plows.
An evening presentation, for outgoing Ag. Rep. R.E. Bell, was held and Oxford Plowmen donated $25 toward the event. Mr. Bell was appointed to the head office of the Ont. Dept. of Agriculture; Mr.Don A.Taylor arrived to take up his duties of Oxford County agricultural representative and secretary of the Oxford Plowmen.
In view of the fact that the Oxford County Plowmen had been asked to participate in the Local Counties Day at IPM 1960 at Springfield in Elgin County, and assuming Oxford would be asked for a grant toward it, they asked County Council for a grant of $600. Oxford was getting more contestants and paying out more prize money, rapidly depleting their bank account. County Council delivered. The county grant the previous year (1959) was $250.The $600 grant was duplicated in 1961 and 1962, with $700 in 1963 (not without some complaints). Canvassing businesses and individuals met with criticism. Representatives to the local committee for the IPM to be held in Elgin county 1960 were: Wilfred Corp, Ed Hansuld, Clare Hartley, and Ed Eddy.
Mr. Hargreaves hosted a coaching day at his farm; A committee of Mr.Eddy, Mr.Hargreaves, George Rogister, Bob Bell, and Norman O.Watson to be in charge. Norman Watson, himself a plowman, became associate ag.rep. for Oxford County.
The high school plow team to represent Oxford at IPM Elgin County was chosen at coaching day, Hargreaves farm. They were Keith Fried and Ray Dedman. Oxford association paid each boy $25 expenses and their $8 entry fee. Lloyd Beckham & Sons trucked the plows and equipment.

A Queen of the Furrow competition was begun at IPM 1960. The Junior Farmers and the Plowmen's Association were to search for young ladies interested in entering the competition. Lynda Prong won over 16 competitors to win the first Ontario Queen of the Furrow title. Pickpockets were still busy, releaving $1000 from seven wallets and purses on Tuesday, opening day. On Wednesday, Herb Jarvis of Agincourt won the top jointer plow class for horses. Ivan DeGeer (sic) of Mt.Albert won the Massey Ferguson Trophy. Grant Wells of Stouffville won the Bank of Nova Scotia and runner up for the Ontario Championship. Oxford County's Keith Fried and Ray Dedman of New Dundee won the Ont.Plowmen's Trophy in Inter County competition. The date for the Oxford match was set for Friday, Oct.28 on the Geo. Innes farm. Bob Milne, Agricultural Engineer for Oxford and Middlesex suggested a drainage demonstration.The Oxford Soil and Crop Association provided assistance and Mr.Art Eddy provided his tile drainage machine. Oxford's Blenheim plow club held their 1960 match on Thursday Oct.27 on the farm of Floyd Good northeast of Plattsville. They were in good shape for the Oxford match the following day Friday Oct.28. They took top honors and the majority of our prize money. Saturday's paper Oct.29th had a good aerial shot of the site and the two judges George Hawstrawser and W.C.Barrie at work.The success of the 1960 Oxford match was evident in the large payout of prize money. Ads in the Tillsonburg News, Ayr News, Paris Star, Sentinel Review, Tavistock Gazette, on CKOX radio brought out contestants. The prize money for horse shoe pitching was $60. At the Annual meeting for 1960 the treasury was down to $39.16 and the main topic was future financing.

Election of Officers for 1961
Past President Wilfred Corp; President, Clare Hartley; 1st Vice Pres., Ed Eddy; 2nd Vice Pres., Art Dale; Secretary, Don Taylor; Treasurer, Norm Shelton.
Directors: John Hargreaves, Doug Start, Ed Hansuld, E.V. Kennedy, Lorne Richardson, Ron Hutcheson(County Weed Inspector), Allan Innes, A.D.Robinson, Leroy Scott, Bob Stephenson, Fred Sidon, Doug McClintock, Robert Ewen, Alex Henderson, T.Pellow, and William Griffin.

Newspaper Cuttings