It was two days of nostalgia, heritage and reminiscing in the warm sunshine at the Rama Sports Grounds on May 21 and 22 during the annual PALS spring Draft Horse Field Day.
“We have two PALS (Performing A rts & Leisure Society) draft horse days each year,” said Walter Hughes, the president of the organization. “In May we plow, disc, harrow and seed the field, and in August, we stook, pile and thresh the crop.”
“We did everything except plow,” Hughes said, explaining that the land being used was much to rocky and if a horse pulls quickly over rocks, it could throw the driver.
“The land was preworked and the teams of horses, pulling old equipment, cultivated, disced, harrowed and seeded the field,” he said. “We also had several fun games.”
Using a plot of field of between five and 10 acres located adjacent to the sports grounds, 18 two or four-horse teams were used to demonstrate farming techniques of years ago, he said. “We want to show the younger people and those who have never been exposed to that kind of farming, how it was done.”
On the first day, about half the field was seeded into oats, and the remainder was done the next day, he said. During the demonstration people attending were free to walk around, use picnic chairs or sit at the picnic table by the concession.
“We had a real good crowd the first day, and fewer the next day,” he said.
On August 20 and 21, the oats will be cut, bound and threshed as well as the few acres of winter wheat that had been seeded with horse and seed drill last fall near to the Co-op C-store, he said.
After the demonstrations with the horses was completed, the teams were involved in three fun competitions, he said. There was a water barrel race in which the winning team was the team that had gone through the course the fastest having retained the most water; a log-skidding competition through an obstacle course, and driving skills course that had the competitors driving over an obstacle course.
In addition, five teams of two persons each were involved in a cross-cut sawing competition to determine which team could saw through the log the fastest.
The event began at 8 a.m. both mornings with the serving of a pancake breakfast. Hamburgers and hot dogs were available both days from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by supper 6:30 p.m., with entertainment afterward.
On Sunday morning there was a “cowboy church service” with Troy MacNaughton of Canora delivering the service.
“He did a real good job,” Hughes said.
“It was a wonderful get-together,” said Judy Johnson, the secretary. “When we all get together there are a lot of laughs and stories. It is like a family reunion and some of the competitors, needing something for their equipment, easily find someone to exchange something with.
“It really made us feel great when we welcomed guests from Peace River, Alta., who had come just for this,” Johnson said. “They made a special effort to come for their holiday and they loved it.”
Participating in the demonstrations were: Larry Loessel of Humboldt with to team s of Percherons and his helper, his daughter Jeannine; Don Kulscar and Shirley Cole of Yorkton with a team of Halflingers; Kristina Just of Yorkton with a team of Percherons; Ivan and Sandy Pollock of Yorkton with a team of Norwegian Fjords; Tom Rowley of Yorkton with a team of Clyde-crosses; Royden and Val Crone of Humboldt with a team of Clydesdales and a team of Norwegian Fjords; Glen Zulyniak of Yorkton with a team of Belgians; Ed Livingston of Moose Jaw with Belgians; Rick and Ruth Lockert of Sedley with Percherons; Lloyd Smith and his daughter Shanna and granddaughter Morgan of Pelly with two teams of Percherons; Ken and Pat Crush of Langham with a team of Percheron- Quarter horse crosses; Louis Bartok of Ituna with Clydesdales, and Rae Rosenkerr of Preeceville with Percherons.
All but the Lockhart and Crush teams had attended the event in previous years, Johnson said.
