A Roll in the Hay

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From Wicklow we returned to our son's place for a few days. While there we attended the Trim Hay-Making Festival. Although it threatened rain and was a bit cold, the weather held off and we enjoyed our outing. The event was held in a field within sight of Trim Castle which I've written about in a previous post. There were several pairs of horses operating various horse-drawn farm equipment. We saw some cute little pygmy goats and watched the donkey races. We were very impressed with the men competing in the sheaf-tossing. The 'sheaf' is actually concocted to a set size and weight so the challenge is the same for everyone. The first photo shows that the crane on the tractor has barely been raised at all. In the next photo, the crane has been extended to its full length. In 2009, the record, set in Trim, was 62 feet. On the day we watched the height was 64 feet but this was an unofficial record. A 17-year-old boy held his own right up to the finish. However the event most appreciated by the crowd was aptly titled 'A Roll in the Hay'. A couple would be linked at the wrist by a short length of rope. The guy had to push the girl in a wheelbarrow round some poles. They then had to scale a couple of fences, roll a big round bale of hay a certain distance then lay on the ground holding each other and roll over and over through hay spread on the ground. Needless to say, an appreciative crowd cheered them on.