Woodchopping (also spelled wood-chopping or wood chopping ), called woodchop for short, is a sport that has been around for hundreds of years in several cultures. In woodchopping competitions, skilled contestants attempt to be the first to cut or saw through a log or other block of wood. It is often held at state fairs and agricultural shows . Participants (especially men) are often referred to as axemen .
31-717: The Dairy Show is an annual British agricultural show , organised by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers. It was founded in 1876 and was first held at the Agricultural Hall in Islington , London; it was later held at Olympia , London, and then moved to the National Agricultural Exhibition Centre at Stoneleigh Park , in Warwickshire . It is now held as part of the annual Livestock Event at
62-460: A livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock is exhibited), a trade fair , competitions, and entertainment. The work and practices of farmers , animal fanciers , cowboys , and zoologists may be displayed. The terms agricultural show and livestock show are synonymous with the North American terms county fair and state fair . The first known agricultural show
93-483: A large homemade methanol -run chainsaw . The saws used by top competitors are typically snowmobile engines cut in half and are far heavier than regular chainsaws. The start for this event is exactly the same as the stock saw except the log is bigger and the axeman has to do three cuts: the first in a downwards motion, the second upwards, and the third down. This event is the fastest by far, lasting between five and seven seconds. Many different types of wood are used in
124-487: A man ran a marathon and chopped ten logs to be allowed to propose to his future wife. The world's first woodchopping championship was held in 1891, at Bell's Parade, Latrobe, Tasmania . This event was celebrated and commemorated with the selection of the site to be the home of the Australian Axemen's Hall of Fame and Timberworks. Woodchopping is practiced in regions where forestry is or has been an important part of
155-571: A rare collection of medals documenting the history of agricultural shows and rural industries across Australia. The 111 medals range in date from the mid-19th to the early 20th century and many are associated with significant individuals and organizations. Related to a show is the "field day", with elements of a trade show for machinery, equipment and skills required for broadacre farming. Field days typically do not involve livestock, show bags or sideshows , but may include events such as ploughing competitions not usually associated with shows due to
186-433: A small pocket in the side of a pole and jams a wooden jigger board with a metal shoe on the end of it into the hole. The shoe is designed to grip into the wood when pressure is put on it from the top. After the axeman has climbed onto his first board he then cuts another pocket and so on. Once up on his top board he proceeds to cut the block on the top of the pole. There are two distinct versions of tree felling: This event
217-932: A talk on insect control by an entomologist at a recent field day at LSU AgCenter's Pecan Research/Extension Station in Shreveport, La. A Landcare survey conducted in 1992/93 revealed that field days in Australia have a high value among local farmers. New Zealand's National Agricultural Fieldays is held annually in June at Mystery Creek , near Hamilton, New Zealand , and attracts 1,000 exhibitors and over 115,000 visitors through its gates. Smaller shows, held annually in New Zealand's towns and communities, are generally called agricultural and pastoral shows ( A&P shows ). Agricultural shows can be sources of swine influenza transmission in both animal and human populations. Swine influenza
248-483: A variety of safety precautions that should be taken at agricultural fairs to prevent the spread of swine influenza. Vulnerable communities including children, people aged 65 years and older, pregnant women, and those suffering from long-term health conditions are groups who should avoid swine exposure due to their high-risk status. The CDC specifically recommends that high-risk individuals with known medical complications avoid interaction with swine at agricultural fairs. It
279-574: Is a communicable disease caused by one of several different strains of influenza A virus . Currently, the subtypes of influenza A virus which have been identified in pig populations within the United States are referred to as H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2, all named for their specific genetic makeups. These viruses are extremely common in pigs across various industries, including pig showmanship at agricultural fairs, and are easily passed between pigs when proper hygiene and safety measures are not carried out. It
310-502: Is advised that anyone who develops flu symptoms after swine exposure at agricultural fairs contact their physician for appropriate medical consultation. There are other recommended prevention strategies to reduce the spread of swine influenza at agricultural fairs. It is suggested that people do not bring food into pig areas, do not take any items such as toys, pacifiers or similar items near the pig areas, avoid close contact with any pigs, and wash hands before and after handling pigs. Given
341-410: Is often considered the hardest discipline in woodchopping. The competitor pulls and pushes a razor sharp saw specifically designed for the event. The saws vary in length from five foot six inches to six foot four inches. The saws cost between $ 1500 and $ 2000. This event consists of two people pulling and pushing a saw to cut a log. It is far faster than the single saw event as there are two people using
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#1732852189775372-435: Is rare for the virus to spread to humans; however, genetic reassortment can lead to susceptibility among humans. Due to direct contact with infected animals or a contaminated environment, swine influenza strains can be transmitted to human populations. In cases such as the 2009 flu pandemic , the virus was transmitted from swine to humans and caused a global pandemic which led to the deaths of approximately 12,000 people in
403-460: Is very popular and competitions are common at most festivals. New Zealand is a leading country in the sport of woodchopping, having had the world's top two competitors, Jason Wynyard and David Bolstad , who between them won 19 of the 21 Stihl Timbersport Series titles between 1997 and 2017. Competitions are generally held at A & P shows, but there are also shows dedicated to woodchopping. Organisations arranging woodchopping competitions in
434-604: The Jack Pollard 's 1968 or 1969 editions of the Ampol's Australian Sporting Records, woodchopping records have appeared to have been recorded from the 1920s. The Axeman's Hall of Fame is located in Latrobe, Tasmania . The peak body for the sport in Australia is the Australian Axemen's Association. The sport is called aizkolaritza in Basque from aizkolari 'woodchopper'. The sport
465-749: The National Exhibition Centre , in Birmingham in the Midlands . The show was originally known as the Metropolitan Dairy Show. Goats, pigs and poultry were included in the show from its earliest years. The introduction of milking trials and tests of butterfat and protein content of milk at the show in 1879 was both a response to, and a contributory factor in, the progressive trend towards selection of stock for productive traits rather than purely for physical appearance . The first Dairy Show
496-778: The US and campdrafting and wood chopping are often held in Australia. Studs are generally available for a fee. A livestock show is an event where livestock are exhibited and judged on certain phenotypical breed traits as specified by their respective breed standard . Species of livestock that may be shown include pigs , cattle , sheep , goats , horses , rabbits , llamas , and alpacas . Poultry such as chickens , geese , ducks , turkeys , and pigeons are also shown competitively. There are also competitive shows for dogs , sheepdogs , and cats . Prize-winners at agricultural shows are generally awarded inscribed medals, cups, rosettes or ribbons. The National Museum of Australia has
527-504: The United States alone. For this reason, people who work or spend any time in close proximity with pigs are at risk for infection and must follow specific precautions to prevent the spread of swine influenza. Certain populations at agricultural fairs are at increased risk of developing serious complications after swine influenza exposure. For instance, pregnant women are more susceptible to swine influenza and have been shown to have increased rates of swine influenza mortality relative to
558-696: The United States associated with contact with pigs at agricultural fairs. The three main Influenza A viruses responsible for these outbreaks are variants of the Influenza A viruses H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2. Recent swine influenza variant outbreaks associated with agriculture fairs in the United States: In the United States, agricultural fairs are a significant exposure source for swine influenza. Certain strains of swine influenza can be transmitted from pig to pig, pig to human, and human to human; swine influenza infection does not always show signs of illness. There are
589-405: The axeman stands on the top of the log and uses a downwards motion to chop the log in two as fast as possible. This is done by cutting a scarf in the front side and then turning around on the block and completing it from the other side. These scarfs are generally offset from each other, the degree of offset depending on the size of the log and the axeman's preference. In this event the axeman cuts
620-539: The economy: Many woodchopping events are handicap events, where the axemen start at different times, depending on how fast they are expected to chop through the log. In New Zealand and parts of Australia, each axeman's individual handicap is recorded in performance books which are graded on how many events they win and how many events they enter. Championship events are scratch events with no handicap, and typically use larger diameter logs (375 mm). Handicap events may use logs of 250 mm to 350 mm, depending on
651-603: The general population. Similarly, adolescents , infants , and those with serious medical comorbid conditions have disproportionately high rates of mortality with swine influenza. This is concerning as over 3.5 million children in the United States participate in youth agricultural programs every year. Agricultural fairs can readily lead to swine influenza infection in vulnerable populations because agricultural fairs are frequently visited by entire families, including children and pregnant women. Swine influenza variant viruses have been responsible for several recent outbreaks in
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#1732852189775682-472: The larger space required. In some communities in northern England Field Days (or Club Days ) have lost their agricultural character and have become community celebrations. The events are good sources of agricultural information, as organizers can arrange for guest speakers to talk on a range of topics, such as the talk on the yellow-flowering alfalfa at the South Dakota field day. Pecan growers were given
713-406: The log. On a buzzer the axeman picks up the saw and pulls the starting cord and then makes his first cut downward, then his second cut upward. If the saw does not start that is just bad luck and they get a slow time. If the axeman takes over more than the allocated wood then they are disqualified and no time is recorded. This event is often the crowd's favourite , and certainly the loudest. It uses
744-724: The major railway companies, including the Great Northern , the Great Western , the London and South-Western , the London and North-Western and the Midland Railway . The British Dairy Farmers' Association was formed at a meeting during the exhibition, at the instigation of J. Prince Sheldon. Agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry . The largest comprise
775-471: The saw yet times for this event can be two or three times faster in the same size wood. The saws used in double tend to be a lot hungrier, that is, they cut and draw more wood out with each stroke. This, however, makes it far harder to push and pull the saw. In this event the axemen use identically tuned and sharpened chainsaws to cut through a log, once downwards and once upwards, within a 3-inch space of wood. The competitor starts with their hands on top of
806-552: The severity of the disease, it is prudent to adopt safety precautions to limit the spread of the swine flu. Incomplete list of shows in Australia: Wood chopping The modern sport of woodchopping is said to have had its genesis in 1870 in Ulverstone, Tasmania , as the result of a £25 ($ 50) bet between two axemen as to who could first fell a tree. An alternative origin story comes from 16th century Basque Country , in which
837-409: The show. Dairy equipment and machinery was exhibited and judged. Other livestock, including goats and poultry, was also shown. There were about 500 entries in the poultry section, which included chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. Hops , grains and roots were also exhibited. The attendance at the exhibition was much greater than had been anticipated by the organisers. Special trains were laid on by
868-419: The skill of the competitors. All competitors have the same size log; the handicap is based purely on time. This event is done by an individual cutting a scarf in one side. Once the first side has been completed the individual starts cutting another scarf on the opposite side, slightly higher than the first, generally about two inches higher but can vary with each axeman's individual preference. In this event,
899-616: The sport and they vary between countries. Common woods used in competition in Australia are gum , mountain ash, woolley butt and poplar. The most common woods cut in New Zealand are radiata pine ( Pinus radiata ), poplar and Pinus strobus . Woods cut in America include white pine, alder, aspen frozen wood and cotton wood. The rules of the sport vary from country to country. Woodchopping events in Australia are generally run in conjunction with agricultural shows . Competitions can run for up to 10 days, with over 100 competitors at each show. In
930-741: Was held by Salford Agricultural Society, Lancashire , in 1768. Since the 19th century, agricultural shows have provided local people with an opportunity to celebrate achievements and enjoy a break from day-to-day routine. With a combination of serious competition and light entertainment, annual shows acknowledged and rewarded the hard work and skill of primary producers and provided a venue for rural families to socialise. City shows also provide city people with an opportunity to engage directly with rural life and food production. Agriculture shows are often enlivened with competitive events, including sheaf tossing , show jumping , food competitions, and tent pegging . Demolition derbies and rodeos are popular in
961-451: Was held from 24 – 27 October 1876. Some 150 milch cows were shown; there were prizes of 100 guineas each for the best Channel Islands cow and for the best other-breed cow, which went to a Shorthorn . The total prize-money for cattle was 500 guineas, about half the total for the show. Butter and cheeses were exhibited, and there were demonstrations of cheese-making and butter-churning. One exhibitor entered more than 1000 Stilton cheeses in