October 3, 2003 Horses & Dogs-Powassan Ploughing Field Days

In the early farming days of the last century before mechanization, and often after, horses were the key to farming and logging success. Some horses are still used today for horse logging and ploughing. The history of the heavy plough horse has been celebrated in Powassan a couple of times a year for the past 15 years. With the current clear nights and warm days farmers are gearing up for fall ploughing and on Saturday and Sunday October … & … there will be a weekend of ploughing activity for people from the area.

Pat Kilroy with a 3 horse team (Ginger, Bess and Dot) ploughing at one of the Field Days (Pat Kilroy Photo)

The Powassan event is not competitive like the International Ploughing Matches. A small informal local group of heavy horse owners including Pat Kilroy, John Burns, and John Hummel and their wives picks a site and a date and sends out invitations to some 50 people far and wide.

The purpose of the event is to get people who love and use horses together to demonstrate, practice and learn and talk about horse. It is clearly a social event (non-alcoholic) where families gather to share food and conversation. Some wood stoves are brought in to provide hot meals for the participants.

There is a wide range of participants from young to old. Thirteen-year-old Greg Kilroy loves to plough with Pat Kilroy or a helper on the reigns. Octogenarian Hank Dooran from New Liskeard who has had a heart bypass juggles his dialysis treatments to participate. Many farmers past their ploughing days come to watch. Several women are usually involved.

Octogenarian Hank Dooran enjoying a turn.on a hand plough at a recent Field Day. (Pat Kilroy Photo)

People gather at the chosen site, which varies from year to year on a Saturday morning anytime after daylight, with activity starting around 10am and going to late afternoon. Ploughing, discing and harrowing are carried out with old fashioned hand ploughs and riding ploughs. Single, double and triple teams are used. On Sunday activity begins again about 10am and begins to paper off when some who have come a long distance prepare for the trip home.

I visited Pat Kilroy, who has been involved over the years at his home on Hazel Glen Road, North West of Powassan. He has three heavy and two light horses that he uses for ploughing and haying. We looked at some photos of past events and discussed past spring and fall Field Days over the past 15 years. Pat is a retired high school math teacher who now teaches his horses and dogs to perform.

Pat indicated the event this weekend (October 4 & 5) will be held at the farm of John and Margaret Closs on the Purdon Line across the highway from the Wagon Wheel restaurant at the south end of Powassan. Guests are welcome to visit. Look for the horses and equipment. For further information contact Pat Kilroy at 724-2445 or John Burns at 724-3449.

Going to the Dogs

While visiting Pat Kilroy I met a couple of well-behaved and animated dogs on his doorstep. When I was leaving Pat asked if I wanted to see the rest of his dogs. This led to an unforgettable demonstration by the 2 dogs and their four siblings and their mother. When the other dogs were released they all ran at great speed in a large circle until Pat gave a signal and they all froze. The dogs were called by name one at a time and ran up a ramp, across a walkway, and down a ladder, and returned to where they were sitting. A couple went up together and sat on the walkway until told to run. With a signal they took off again at high speed. When they returned several jumped through an old tire hung on a rope. At his command they obediently returned to their pens.

Pat Kilroy and 2 of his dogs (commet and Bailey) performing on the catwalk. (Doug Mackey Photo)

The dogs are a crossbreed of springer spaniel and border collie and all six came from the same litter. They love to be hitched to a sleigh in the winter and Pat estimates that they have all logged a 1000 kilometers a year for 5 years on his 20km trail and elsewhere. These dogs will take children on a long trip by themselves. I have had many dogs in my day, but have never seen anything like the performance of these dogs.