MALE MOWER OF THE YEAR PRIZE GOES TO A NEW WINNER, FEMALE MOWER OF THE YEAR PRIZE GOES TO AN ALREADY-TITLED WOMAN

The top 10 men in the championship, including several experienced scythe enthusiasts, competed for the title of Male Scythe Mower of the Year. Most of them have been wielding scythes since childhood, having picked up the subtleties of the trade from their grandparents and parents. The title of the Fastest Mower went to Arūnas Kakta, a local from Šilutė, who beat his teammate Kozmas Auškalnis in the mowing competition.

„During this year’s championship, it was more difficult to compete in the team event because we were mowing on grass that hadn’t been cut since Spring. I even came here on the eve of the event to train. I’m glad that we managed to complete the course not only quickly, but also with high quality – our team scored only one penalty point“, shares Arūnas Kakta, Male Scythe Mower of the Year.

When asked if the title taken away from his friend would spoil their friendship, Arūnas laughed that although they were serious about the competition, friendship was more important. Not only did he win the title of Best Mower, but he also went on stage four times to receive his awards. Arūnas’s team Scythe Brothers also won prizes in the team competition and he received an award in the special competition after beating the trimmer.

The Female Mower of the Year title went to the three women who did best in the team event. The title of the Fastest Mower went to Dovilė Staponkienė. Last year, she was unable to attend the competition for family reasons. This year, she was delighted not only to win the title but also to have the opportunity to spend time with like-minded people.

„I am glad that this year’s championship is even bigger than the first one, with a large number of participants coming together to learn more about this unique craft, to improve their skills, and maybe even to share their secrets. The competitors are really keen, but I enjoy mowing so much that the tiredness is compensated by the pleasant moments and the great mood of the event,“ says Dovilė Staponkienė, the Female Scythe Mower of the Year.

THE BEST MOWING TEAM IS AWARDED AND THE WINNER OF THE SCYTHE AND TRIMMER COMPETITION IS SELECTED

„The Scythe Brothers“, who triumphed last year, took all the prizes in the main team event (the 3 m wide and 100 m long stretch). The athletic Kozmas Auškalnis and Arūnas Kakta were awarded the title “Flying Scythes” for the fastest scything and the “Quality Guaranteed” title for the best quality execution.

Participants were captivated by a spectacular scythe-trimmer battle, held for the first time, to find out whether the machinery often used in cities is really better than scything. Arūnas Kakta, who dared to challenge the trimmers and was named Male Scythe Mower of the Year, covered the course with his scythe twice as fast and better than the noise-making trimmers. The audience gave a loud ovation in support of the like-minded hay mower who defended this unique craft.

The youngest hay farmer, 22-year-old Rytis Rakauskas, and the eldest, 81-year-old Alfonsas Maniokas, were also awarded.

The special title „Style and Fashion“ went to the team Švendubrė.

THE NEWCOMERS’ COMPETITION ATTRACTED ATTENTION

For the second year in a row, the Mowing School that is organized during the championship is attracting a lot of interest. After a course of trainings, the trainees can compete in the Scythe Debut event. The newcomers had to compete in an individual 1.5 m wide and 50 m long stretch. The competition was not only about time but also about quality.

„It is important to our team to contribute to the goal of fostering unique cultural heritage, and we also draw inspiration from history and culture in our real estate projects. The National Scythe Mowing Championship is another opportunity to see that sustainable ideas, tradition, and technology are inseparable from any progress. It is especially important for the harmony between nature and people, where, for example, hay meadows are also an attractive breeding ground for rare and endangered birds. Such as the aquatic warbler, that was paid significant attention during this event,“ says Arnas Bušmanas, Director of „SBA Urban“, the company that supports the championship and is developing the Wind City in Svencelė, and has created the title of Scythe Debut.

„This victory is unexpected, I am happy not only to pick up the scythe after more than 20 years, but also to take home the prize,“ smiles Vytautas Povilauskas, who has won the title of Scythe Debut, and has been awarded a great scythe from Austria by the sponsor „staliausirankiai.lt“.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP TOOK PLACE AT THE AQUATIC WARBLER BREEDING SITES

According to Žymantas Morkvėnas, conservationist and head of the Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania, which organises the championship, this unique and record-breaking event is taking place in the Nemunas delta for two reasons. Firstly, the Nemunas delta is famous for their distinctive meadow culture, which is the result of natural conditions – regular flooding and the floodplains of the Nemunas. The natural fertiliser brought by the floods made the meadows extremely fertile: hay was harvested three times a year, and the hay-makers here were particularly skilled in their craft.

„Secondly, these meadows have supported and continue to support an abundance of birds, which are inseparable from the region’s tradition of scythe haying, which has helped preserve bird diversity. The meadows of the Nemunas delta are the breeding grounds of Europe’s rarest songbird, the aquatic warbler. This year, the hay mowers had the opportunity to mow a field where the grass has not been cut since the spring to protect these rare birds. I competed myself – the sweat was dripping“, says Ž. Morkvėnas.

The Scythe Mowing Championships, he says, not only revive a cultural heritage that is being forgotten. At the same time, it informs farmers and the public about farming in harmony with nature and the need to protect endangered species.

CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES AND NOMINATIONS

More detailed results