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Sunday On The Farm LbNA #23748

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jul 14, 2006
Location:
City:Presque Isle
County:Aroostook
State:Maine
Boxes:1
Planted by:FunkyMonkey
Found by: crazymisstami
Last found:Apr 20, 2012
Status:FFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Jul 14, 2006
It is said around the 1900's when farming machines were pulled by horse that farmers would boast about how strong their horses were. They would make big claims that their horse could tow large loads, such as a fully loaded hay cart or wagon. To prove this for their neighbors, farmers would challenge one another to contests to prove who had the strongest horse. So a barn door was removed and laid flat on the ground the horse was then hooked up to it and the farmer ushered the horse to drag the barn door along the ground. One by one people jumped on the door until the horse was no longer able to drag it, the horse that pulled the most people the greatest distance was the strongest. This event, called draft horse pulling ,is still carried out today with specially bred horses trained to have high strength and low stamina, but instead of people fixed weights on sleds are dragged as far as possible.

At the Northern Maine Fairgrounds in Presque Isle, find the arena where draft horse pulling events are held each year during the Fair. The arena is near the Pool. (Note: While the arena is in place and accessable year-round, if you try to find this letterbox while the fairgrounds are in use- i.e. during "Fair Week"- you will have to pay a gate fee and you are not likely to have privacy when you find the letterbox)

Visit the monument in honor of the former Fair General Manager (whom the arena is named for) who was responsible for bringing draft horse pulling back to the Northern Maine Fair. With the monument on your left and facing the barns, walk straight ahead 40 paces. Turn 90* to the left (the arena should be on your left side) and walk 15 paces straight ahead. The letterbox is under the doorstep of the building on your left, concealed by 3 large rocks.

Please rehide well, as this is a high-traffic area during the Fair, and come back to check out what a real draft horse pull is all about!