Log skidding contest!

[Donn Hewes]

This looks to be a fun event in Central NY. March 7th in Trumansburg, NY. I will attach a flyer.

[Donn Hewes]

Further thoughts on a log skidding contest. It was a lot of fun. I won a nice home made pair of tongs! Winning felt a little weird as I have competed in a lot of sports but never tried to win so much as a ribbon with a horse. The event was fairly simple in it’s lay out and not enough horses and teamsters were there (maybe six – do you think that is why I won something?!) but a good crowd (close to a hundred) enjoyed watching and talking with folks. We tried to do a modified pulling contest, by starting with one log and then adding another, and another. It didn’t work so good because the snow was still deep, and the logs were a little big, and some of the horses were a little green. That would be a good pulling contest with a bunch of hard logging horses. There were also demos for loading logs on a sled, and a team hooked to a motorized log forwarder. It was nice event by folks who had never done one before. One other funny thing; there weren’t many horses but there were no blinders! I have some horses that work with, and some that work without, but it was neat to be at an event were no one had any.

This little experience made me think about the event I would produce. I would call it a draft animal powered obstacle course. The time starts when the teamster and team enter. Have some pylons to skid a log through. Next have three logs to choose from; small, medium and large; to see which one they want to pull. Have a station were they can drive past a motor or motorized equipment. Hook onto a harrow and harrow between a row of flags or cones. I would give points for each area, that included, how the animal or team stood for hooking, how well they negotiated each obstacle, which log they choose to pull and how well they did. All the time and skill for hooking and unhooking counts!

I would try to make the points important enough (20 seconds a point or something), that time would be less of a factor and your first goal would be a clean run. If a young person or beginning teamster want to have an assistant no problem, just a couple points. A person could skip an obstacle and just loose those points.

I think I could think of more obstacles too. You could have a log on a rope through a pulley so the animal could pull it toward them selves. Add lines on the ground to stay inside of.

If any one has any more ideas let me know as I might try this this year.

[Ed Thayer]

Nice Job Don,

I thought maybe you had won the log trailer but I guess you just got the ribbon.:)

Regarding the obstacle course. I Helped at the Hopkinton State Fair when our local Granite State Draft Horse and Pony Association sponsored the event.

Evelyn and Francis Pike were in charge of the obstacle course. I think you know them from NEAPFD. They have the Mule teams and travel with Bob Chriton alot.

Maybe a call to her would give you some more ideas. They set up a course very similare to what you have explained above.

If you need contact info, let me know.

Ed

[Carl Russell]

Donn, if you get the bugs worked out and want to bring it on the road to NEAPFD this fall, Sunday October 17th may be open for just such a thing as your obstacle course.

Carl

[Donn Hewes]

Carl, I think it has a lot of potential as a fun, challenging event that would be interesting to watch. let me do a little research and I might just sign up for that. Ed, I would love to get that contact info. While I was up on the forwarder I said “wow, did I really win this?!”

[dominiquer60]

If it makes life easier I could bring my little ~40″ harrow for the competition. It is nice and small for singles or small teams, and would fit behind the calves on my way up. 🙂
Erika

[Ed Thayer]

Here is the Info Don,

Evelyn R Pike

50 Perry Rd

Chichester, NH 03258-6316

(603) 798-5550

Broom tail Farm

[jason glick]

don, love to talk more about this, i started a thread ” challenging Obsticle” under Sustainable Forestry.forum. we’re in the planning stages for the MOFGA LIF workshop and i think it would be a great hit to have something more serious than last year. if you want to help out we can hit NEAPFD with something tested.. cheers, jason

[Donn Hewes]

hi Jason, Give a call or email. 607-849-4442

[Carl Russell]

Cool guys.

Carl

[Jim Ostergard]

The Maine Draft Horse, Mules and Pony folks do a log scooting contest at a number of fairs and on club week-ends. You back the horse into six cones (with apples on top) which are only about 2-3″ wider than the single trees, hook up and go. Lots of right angles, often a big mud hole or wet spot then through a large door frame with old shirts hanging off it and flapping in the breeze. Lots of fun and it takes some real handling to get through it with out a hitch. Points off (or added) when you topple an apple then when you upset a cone or miss any area.

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