European Scything Championships Austria 2019

Kevin European Championships Austria

After Switzerland 2017, where Kevin and Nigel Adams, attended and competed in the European Scything Championships for the first time, this year, a party of four went to Austria representing Great Britain and Ireland. The competition is held every two years.

The team comprised of Andy Rickard, Jonathan Adams and Kevin Austin, and was managed by Nigel Adams.

Uk-Ireland team -European Championships Austria

We Flew to Munich and drove over the border into Northern Austria, to St. Florian where the competition took place.

Material to be cut turned out to be quite different than expected, predominantly lucerne with rye grass underneath.

Once again, Austria triumphed as a team, and also the ladies, but the men’s champion came from South Tyrol.

For Team GB, although way down in the placings, great fun was had by all, and valuable experience was gained for future events.

Needing to change our style and technique for the racing setup!

Bring on Slovenia 2021!!

European Scything Championships — 2019

The European Championships are held every 2 years. This year, champions, Austria, are holding the championship.

Time for some practice!

A variety of larger competition blades, going up to 135cm, are generally used, as shown in the photo!

Scythe blades - European Scything championships

National Scythe Competition — Wimpole 2019

The wonderful National Trust property, Wimpole Estate in Royston Cambridgeshire, holds the annual history and craft festival, including the National Scythe competition.

Wimpole National Scythe Competition - Kevin

The West Country team won the Team mowing. It is here where the larger areas are mown.

Wimpole National Scythe Competition - Group

Kevin enjoys the longer distances as he manages large areas for his living. He won the national Quarter of an acre in a time of 1 hour and 19 minutes.

Kevin at The European Scything Championships 2017

Brunnen, SwitzerlandThe highlight for August was a trip to participate in the European Scything championships in Brunnen Switzerland. It takes place every 2 years rotating around the European countries taking part and this was the first time British competitors have taken place.

Kevin attended with his friend Nigel Adams and feels they represented well, having to adjust style and technique to the big blades borrowed, and the low stance required for the set up.


Nigel achieved one of the highest ranking quality plots and Kevin won an overall prize for style and technique, although their times were well down compared to the Olympian scythe masters!The Swiss were so wonderfully hospitable and welcoming, so lots of practice for 2 years time in Austria who are the champions.

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Brunnen, Switzerland

Eastern Counties Scything Competition

Kevin at WimpoleEastern Counties Scything Competition, Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire.

A wonderful setting in the National Trust Wimpole Estate, Simon Damant, head forester organises an annual rural craft fair and scything competitions for fun and the more serious.

New champion, Michael Gerrard with his English snath combined with Austrian blade won the 5m x 5m in roughly one 1 minute 30 seconds. Kevin won the 10m x 10m in 4 minutes 38 seconds and also won for the first time, the quarter of an acre in 1 hour 16 minutes.

Group Wimpole Scything Competition
Tim, Richard, and Phil

The unique aspect of this competition is that there is no shortage of grass and we are able to compete on the larger areas. A lot of the talk was about next year’s competition which will be the top scythers competing to finish one acre of grass each! Historically this was considered to be the amount a skilled scyther could do in one day — Watch this space!

Phil at Wimpole Scything Cometition

Black and white photo credits: Simon Damant

The Somerset Scythe Festival

The Somerset Scythe FestivalA well attended show of around 5000 this year with the usual array of wonderful stalls selling organic food, old tools, blacksmithing, woodworking demos, plenty of music and fun was had.

Scything conditions were near perfect with record times being achieved. Kevin came second this year to George who stormed his plot in 40 seconds! Congratulations to him.

Team Cornwall also achieved 2nd place, thanks to Tracy Harris, Tim Radja and John Fenn.

 

Video curtesy of Steve Tomlin. https://stevetomlincrafts.wordpress.com/learn-to-scythe/

Some images from the day . . .

Kevin at Muchelney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

assembled scythes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scythe talk-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scythe talk-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

scything stall

Keveral Open Day — Man-v-Machine

Keveral Open DayA great day was had by all at Keveral’s fantastic, and fun Open Day on Saturday the 27th May.

Hopefully this will be an annual event, and, hopefully too, Skyegrove will be hosting their own Open Day in the very near future.

The highlight of the Open Day was the Man-v-Machine Competition. All three contestants were well supported by the good-natured crowd.

So! — Was Mark ‘Bertie Bertollini’s’ mower knobbled? Will there be a revenge / grudge match at Skyegrove?

Let’s hope so! — Something we can all look forward to!

 

Don’t forget! — This weekend the wonderful craft fair, including scything competitions, at Muchelney, Somerset will be taking place (see our previous post Green Scythe Fair). Not to be missed!