Congressman Meuser (top, right, holding reins) gets some final words of encouragement from his experienced handler before embarking on the Celebrity Scurry Obstacle course. Above, Williams Companies director of community and project outreach Mike Atchie (second from left) congratulates Meuser on his first-place finish in the Celebrity Feed Scurry contest held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Jan. 6. Williams sponsored the horse hitch event, which is conducted annually by the Friends of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Foundation, represented here by chairman William Piper (right) and special adviser Larry Weaver.
One of the more peculiar contests at the Pennsylvania Farm Show is the annual Celebrity Feed Scurry, a segment of the Draft Horse Hitch and Drive, which was sponsored again this year by Williams Companies and attended by Williams director of community and project outreach Mike Atchie. The contest, which featured numerous elected officials, local television personalities, and even a Fair Queen, was conducted by the Friends of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Foundation.
“Williams sponsors the Draft Horse Hitch and Drive as a way to support the Friends of the Farm Show Foundation, which supports important educational programs during the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show,” Atchie related. This is the fourth year that Williams has financially supported the event.
Competitors, many of whom have never previously driven horses are teamed up with an experienced handler and a young adult who loads and unloads their scurry of large hay bails as they drive through an obstacle course with several “feed stations.” Perched on a sled behind a pair of large draft horses, contestants take the reins and some quick directions, and they are off.
In addition to the event itself, Williams sponsored drivers in five of the 14 heats. When all was said and done, Williams scored a solid win with U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania’s 9th District completing the course in one minute, 10 seconds and taking the blue ribbon.
According to Meuser’s office staff, this was the first time that the congressman had competed in the event, and he has no direct farm experience. That didn’t prevent him from taking the reins with a smile and pulling across the finish line at breakneck speed, relying on his co-pilot to bring the horses to a stop.
“I enjoyed the fun, friendly competition and how the participants really work to win the blue ribbon and, of course, the bragging rights,” said Atchie.
Williams also sponsored heats for state representatives Sheryl Delozier and Mary Isaacson, Pennsylvania Cable Network senior vice president Debra Kohr-Sheppard and Valerie Pritchett, a news anchor for the Harrisburg ABC affiliate.
The mission of Friends of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Foundation is to “stimulate, facilitate, and support educational programs, events and incentives related to the Farm Show.”
Williams Companies director of community and project outreach Mike Atchie casts a weary eye on the giant draft horses that pulled the scurries for the competition.
