Sheaf toss

The sheaf toss (Scottish Gaelic: sguab) 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 (2019 Chicago Highland Games)[3]
  • 7.3 kg (16 lb) – 12.80 metres (42 ft 0 in) by Zach Riley (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) Harry MacDonald 1997 Alexandria, Virginia, USA
9.61 metres (31 ft 6 in) Robert Troupe 1997 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
9.69 metres (31 ft 9 in) Karl Dodge 1998 Huntersville, North Carolina, USA
9.71 metres (31 ft 10 in) Art McDermott 1998 Lincoln, New Hampshire, USA
10.06 metres (33 ft 0 in) Karl Dodge 1998 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
10.21 metres (33 ft 6 in) Karl Dodge 1999 McAlester, Oklahoma, USA
10.34 metres (33 ft 11 in) Karl Dodge 1999 Highlands Ranch, Colorado, USA
10.36 metres (34 ft 0 in) Ryan Vierra 2000 Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA
10.67 metres (35 ft 0 in) Ryan Vierra 2001 Huntersville, North Carolina, USA
10.75 metres (35 ft 3 in) Mike Smith 2004 Huntersville, North Carolina, USA
10.92 metres (35 ft 10 in) Eric Frasure 2007 Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA
10.97 metres (36 ft 0 in) Eric Frasure 2008 Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA
11.00 metres (36 ft 1 in) Eric Frasure 2010 Huntersville, North Carolina, USA
11.03 metres (36 ft 2 in) Eric Frasure 2010 Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA
11.12 metres (36 ft 6 in) Spencer Tyler 2018 (To be confirmed)
11.15 metres (36 ft 7 in) Spencer Tyler 2019 Long Beach, California, USA
11.30 metres (37 ft 1 in) Spencer Tyler 2019 Chicago, Illinois, USA

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sheaf toss.

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b "STRENGTH RECORD, Section 06 - Throwing". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  4. ^ Francis Brebner and the team (31 January 2001). "Highland Games Record Progressions". www.highlandgames.net. Retrieved 14 May 2025.


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