Making and Breaking Traditions

For first year Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) student Carrie Davenport, plowing competitions are all about making and breaking traditions. Carrie may be the 4th generation in her family to take part in plowing competitions, but this year she became the first woman to hold the title of Junior Canadian Plowing Champion.

The plowing tradition started in Carrie’s family with her great grandfather and as soon as Carrie could reach the tractor’s clutch, she started practising. This September Carrie saw years of practise pay off when she participated at the International Plowing Match in Roseville, Ontario and took home first place. She then went on to compete at the Canadian Plowing Championships in Brandon, Manitoba in early October and won the championship. “Winning the championship was an incredible experience and hopefully I will be able to do it again next year,” Carrie explains.

Typically Carrie’s win in Brandon would qualify her for the World Ploughing Championship next year in Olds, Alberta. Due to age restrictions, however, she doesn’t qualify. Carrie hopes to qualify again, and become the first woman to represent Canada since the Canadian Plowing Organization was founded in 1955. “The community keeps you going,” she says. “They’re a great group of people.”

Carrie is also continuing a family tradition by attending the OAC, as both her father and sister attended the college. As part of her Junior Championship prize winnings Carrie was awarded a year scholarship to Olds College, valid for five years. Carrie hopes this is an opportunity to study in Alberta as part of her degree from the OAC. Carrie is majoring in Food and Agricultural Business and hopes to work in the financial side of the agricultural sector when she graduates.