Oxford hosts horsepull this weekend

By Jeanie Petersen

Correspondent

OXFORD – Highly trained, muscular athletes are coming to Oxford to compete in a magnificent display of strength. It’s not the Olympics, it’s the 39th Annual Lion’s Horsepull sponsored by the Oxford Lions Club. In Boname Park on East River Road Sunday, teams of massive draft horses, mostly Belgians, specially bred for their strength and agility, will be competing in one of two different weight classes. Pulls start at 1 p.m.

The Oxford Lions Club’s Horsepull has been having their annual event, since 1967. An Oxford tradition, and now an online I Love NY tourism event, it always attracts droves of excited fans to root for their favorites. Since the start, Oxford Lion Howard Smith has been the emcee as well as a participant, and this year will be no exception. (Last year he won 2nd place in the heavyweight division with horses Bruce and Jay who went 21’7”, pulling 4,000 lbs.!) Smith brings his expertise and knowledge to ensure a smooth running and exciting pull.

For those who are new to the sport, here’s some background information. Horsepulling is a sport that started about a hundred years ago by competitive farmers who wanted to see who had the strongest work horses. The goal is for a team of two horses to make a 27 1/2 foot “qualifying pull”-- (once determined a safe distance) – with certain weights on the “horse pulling machine” (a truck on skid plates). Weights start out at 2,750 pounds, in the lightweight division. These “gentle giants” are treated like professional athletes, trained daily, fed a vitamin rich diet, and prepared to compete in their “Olympics.”