Sheaf toss
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The sheaf toss (Template:Langx) is a traditional Irish and Scottish agricultural sport event originally contested at country fairs. A pitchfork is used to hurl a hessian bag stuffed with straw over a horizontal bar above the competitor's head.[1] Typical weight for the bag is 16 or 20 lb (7.3 or 9.1 kg).[2] Three chances are given to each competitor to cleanly go over the bar. After all challengers have made their attempts, the bar is raised and all successful competitors move on to the new height. This continues until all but one athlete is eliminated.
The Sheaf toss has been incorporated as an event at many of the Scottish highland games although technically it is not itself a heavy athletics event. The sheaf toss is also a traditional sport in the Basque Country. It is a feature of the annual Sykehouse Show in South Yorkshire, England.
Sheaf tossing is also contested in Ireland and Australia particularly at agricultural shows and at fairs; Irish sheaf tossing differs from sheaf tossing in Scotland and France in that the sheaf is made of rushes which are bound tightly with baling twine and are not placed in a bag. The rules are the same as the Scottish version and a pitchfork is used. The same pitchfork is usually used for all competitors so as not to give anybody an unfair advantage by allowing them use their own customised pitchfork. A variation of this rule is that if one brings a custom pitchfork to the competition, they must allow any other competitor to use that fork.
World records
- 9.1 kg (20 lb) – 11.30 metres (37 ft 1 in) by Spencer Tyler Template:Flagicon (2019 Chicago Highland Games)[3]
- 7.3 kg (16 lb) – 12.80 metres (42 ft 0 in) by Zach Riley Template:Flagicon (2017 Bartholomew Scottish Festival)[3]
Progression of the world record
20 lb sheaf[4]
| Distance | Holder | Year | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.50 metres (31 ft 2 in) | Template:Flagicon Harry MacDonald | 1997 | Alexandria, Virginia, USA |
| 9.61 metres (31 ft 6 in) | Template:Flagicon Robert Troupe | 1997 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA |
| 9.69 metres (31 ft 9 in) | Template:Flagicon Karl Dodge | 1998 | Huntersville, North Carolina, USA |
| 9.71 metres (31 ft 10 in) | Template:Flagicon Art McDermott | 1998 | Lincoln, New Hampshire, USA |
| 10.06 metres (33 ft 0 in) | Template:Flagicon Karl Dodge | 1998 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA |
| 10.21 metres (33 ft 6 in) | Template:Flagicon Karl Dodge | 1999 | McAlester, Oklahoma, USA |
| 10.34 metres (33 ft 11 in) | Template:Flagicon Karl Dodge | 1999 | Highlands Ranch, Colorado, USA |
| 10.36 metres (34 ft 0 in) | Template:Flagicon Ryan Vierra | 2000 | Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA |
| 10.67 metres (35 ft 0 in) | Template:Flagicon Ryan Vierra | 2001 | Huntersville, North Carolina, USA |
| 10.75 metres (35 ft 3 in) | Template:Flagicon Mike Smith | 2004 | Huntersville, North Carolina, USA |
| 10.92 metres (35 ft 10 in) | Template:Flagicon Eric Frasure | 2007 | Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA |
| 10.97 metres (36 ft 0 in) | Template:Flagicon Eric Frasure | 2008 | Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA |
| 11.00 metres (36 ft 1 in) | Template:Flagicon Eric Frasure | 2010 | Huntersville, North Carolina, USA |
| 11.03 metres (36 ft 2 in) | Template:Flagicon Eric Frasure | 2010 | Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA |
| 11.12 metres (36 ft 6 in) | Template:Flagicon Spencer Tyler | 2018 | (To be confirmed) |
| 11.15 metres (36 ft 7 in) | Template:Flagicon Spencer Tyler | 2019 | Long Beach, California, USA |
| 11.30 metres (37 ft 1 in) | Template:Flagicon Spencer Tyler | 2019 | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
See also
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References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Williams, Doug (14 September 2018). "Terri Ventress can throw just about anything – and has 14 world records to prove it". ESPN. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Nauright, John (2012). Sports around the World: History, Culture, and Practice [4 volumes]: History, Culture, and Practice. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598843019. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."STRENGTH RECORD, Section 06 - Throwing". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Francis Brebner and the team (31 January 2001). "Highland Games Record Progressions". www.highlandgames.net. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
