The first world championship plowing contest was held near Cobourg Ontario in Oct. 1953.

Teams of two expert plowmen from ten countries competed with the Canadian champions for the first truly international match. Teams from Finland, Norway, Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Northern Ireland, Holland, Germany and Republic of Ireland gathered in England on Sept. 21^st. They embarked on the CPR Liner “Empress of Amsterdam” and arrived in Montreal on Sept. 30^th, hoping to win the Golden Plow Award, the emblem of world supremacy in the art of plowing. The event drew huge crowds and was won by Jim Eccles of Brampton. Otaco was one of Canada’s largest manufacturers of farm equipment at that time and one of the 175 exhibiters in the 33 acre “TentCity”.  On display are some of the products made by Otaco including a tractor plow, the popular Roadmaster Farm Wagon, a tractor sleigh and wooden wheelbarrow. In the tent would be displayed disc wheels, water and well pumps, the famous “gold tip” plow shares and the popular Minnitoy line.

Photo provided by the Orillia Museum of Art and History.