The objective of this activity is to lift a plough, which can sometimes weigh as much as one hundred kilogrammes, into a vertical position.
A variant of the sport is to lift the plough into a semi-horizontal position and to hold it in that position while doing a 360-degree turn, all this while the plough-lifter is squatting on his haunches and supporting the yoke of the plough on his thighs. Sometimes, the plough is kept in a vertical position, with the plough resting on the lifter’s chin, his mouth or in the palm of one hand, or while the lifter is lying on his back on the ground.
To lift the plough, the contestant grabs the yoke, which measures a little more than four metres, with both hands while planting his feet firmly on the ground and facing the plough. The contestant initiates the lift by leaning backwards in order to create a counterweight to the plough with his body, thereby lifting the plough into a horizontal position and raising it to the height of the hips. Next, the plough is lifted into a vertical position, where it is held in balance. While the plough is in this position, the contestant will execute some of the variations described, depending on his individual skill. Putting the plough down is perhaps the most difficult part of the entire manoeuvre. The contestant lowers the plough slowly, showing it to the public, sometimes stopping halfway to do a turn before the yoke and other parts of the plough are set down gently on the ground, without any sudden drops.
