Duane Van Dyke (Yamhill) is a farmer and competitive horse-drawn plowman. For decades, he’s continued the tradition of raising draft horses and putting them to work plowing.
Bio
Van Dyke learned traditional horse plowing and breeding from his grandfather who, like most farmers after WWII, made the transition from horse power to tractors; after his retirement, though, he started raising and selling draft horses. Van Dyke continued the practice of draft horse breeding, but he and his wife are so attached to their horses that there are seldom sold. Each one has its own special harness, collar, and bridle. Van Dyke’s connection with his animals is deep, and the training he’s done over the decades has paid off. He uses one of his trusty older mares to train younger horses on the hitch rail. As an active farmer, he typically working three teams a day during the summer. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Van Dyke is President of Oregon Draft Horse Breeders Association (his grandfather was one of the founders). He oversees the group’s annual plowing competition in McMinnville, where he first competed in 1972 at the age of 12. In 2016, with 53 draft animals on hand, the association celebrated their 50th annual competition. Van Dyke still competes, winning the 74th Annual International Plowing Match in Lynden, Washington in 2015. He plowed with a six-horse hitch (the string of paired horses in front of the plow), which is divided into pairs: the wheel, swing, and lead teams. "There's no bigger thrill in the world than driving a six (6-horse hitch),” he says. “It’s just a kick.” One of Van Dyke’s cousins as well as a favorite niece have taken an interest in driving the horses, making him hopeful that the next generation will carry forward his passion. "It's in the heart,” he says. “it’s got to be right there.”
