Competition
Every furrow has to be right: World Championships in plowing in Latvia
The competition terrain of the German participant Stefan Oechsle. The best plowers in the world are competing in Latvia this weekend. photo
© Alexander Welscher/dpa
Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate: 40 participants compete against each other at the 68th World Plowing Championships in Latvia. In the end, it’s not just the technology that counts.
Among them are two Germans from the Ulm plowing community: Stefan Oechsle is taking part in rotary plowing, Nico Röder in bed plowing.
During the two-day competition, the best were first determined on the stubble field – a harvested grain field – and then plowing on grassland took place. The participants had to plow certain areas. According to the organizers, the most important thing was precision and skill in handling the plow. Every furrow has to be right – and is precision work. A jury examined the result.
Evenly deep and straight
It is important that the soil is cut through flatly and that the furrow is as evenly deep and straight as possible. The devices used for this are not entirely commercially available. “Nothing is actually standard anymore,” said Oechsle. Everyone tinkers with it until they believe “that it will bring the necessary bit of success.” “It’s all about nuances – every little thing can make a difference.”
Despite all the technology, the human factor is ultimately crucial. “Of course I can’t drive in Formula 1 races with the VW Beetle. But if I put my grandma in a Formula 1 car, she still won’t become world champion,” said German team supervisor and judge Ulrich Münkle to the German Press Agency . It also depends on the necessary experience.
Team Germany has been in Latvia for ten days – for training and preparation. “This helps you adjust to the ground.” Nevertheless, the conditions on Saturday were anything but easy, with some pouring rain. “The weather is a catastrophe. Everything is soaking wet,” said Röder, who is taking part in the World Cup for the first time and was “very satisfied”. “For me this is a huge adventure.”