The annual International Plowing Match and Rural Expo events are huge, and hugely popular, This is the 2018 event in southwestern Ontario (via Ontario Plowmen's Association)

The international plowing match 2019

If you like horses, old tractors, new tractors, antique farm equipment, new farm equipment, crafts, food, old skills, a variety of skills testing and competitions like, oh say, pumpkin launching, and agriculture in general, then you would know about the very popular international plowing (ploughing) matches.

The International Plowing Match and Rural Expo is a huge annual event and it starts today in Verner, a small town about halfway between North Bay and Sudbury, about 400 kilometres north of Toronto.

This year the event is being held in Verner in northern Ontario, indicated by red balloon (Google maps)

The event, which runs until September 21st, annually attacts tens of thousands of visitors with over 77,000 last year  attending the event in Chatham, southwestern Ontario.

Horses and horse team ploughing events are a regular and popular feature of the events (IPM and Rural Expo)

In addition to the actual ploughing skills competition, Ontario’s provincial political leaders, New Democrat Andrea Horvath, Green Party Mike Schreiner, Liberal leader John Fraser, and Premier Doug Ford of the Progressive Conservatives will take part in the opening ceremonies and themselves have a mini competition to see which one can plough the straightest furrow.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford at the 2018 event, He is of course driving a Ford tractor in blue- the Progressive Conservative colour. He and other party leaders are attending this year’s opening ceremonies today and will be in a friendly ploughing competition (Geoff Robins-The Canadian Press)

At least one federal politician, currently on the federal election campaign trail,  will also be there, Jagmeet Singh of the New Democratic Party.

Lots of interesting things to see such as this antique steam powered saw. (IPM and Rural Expo)

Other events include lumberjack skills competitions, like log rolling in a pool of water, precision horse riding team, precision tractor driving, and live music performances. For the first time those not officially competing will also be able to try their skills with their own tractors or horses and ploughs.

The precision tractor square dance is always popular (IPM and Rural Expo)

The Canadian Forces precision parachute team, the Skyhawks will also drop in with demonstrations tomorrow.

The Canadian Cowgirls precision riding drill team will be on hand as well this year. (IPM and Rural Expo(

The event covers about 1,000 acres, to accommodate over 1,000 RVs and trailers, car parking, 400 vendors, various display and special event areas, and of course the ploughing competitions.

Additional information-sources

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