Scything European Championship
The first championship to be hosted by Slovenia took place in 1999 in Kranj, and the second in 2011 in Cerklje na Gorenjskem.
The event is moved to 2023. The competition will draw the best scythers from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, South Tyrol, the Baskque Country, Slovakia, Czechia, Serbia, England, Russia, and Slovenia.
The first international scything competition was organized in 1969 for the scythers from Bavaria and Tyrol. After that, scything events were held biannually, and the number of participating countries kept increasing. Slovenia made its first appearance in 1995.
Only the best can compete at this prestigious event, so each of the competing countries organizes qualifiers for the European Championship. A national team consists of 5 women and 10 men. In 2015 the junior class was added, and the event was won by Slovenian scyther Maj Janža from Beltinci.
Female and junior competitors mow a plot 35 m2 in size (7x5m), while the men’s plot measures 100 m2 (10x10m).
The scoring criteria are speed and cut neatness. The quality of the cut is evaluated by 12 internationally qualified judges. The scores for time and neatness are added up to get the final score of a competitor. Like in any other sport, the winner is frequently decided by seconds, or even tenths of seconds.
The best country award is also given as a travel cup. This wooden sculpture of a scyther passes from one group of outstanding athletes to another. It is received by the national team with the highest total score.
Apart from demonstrating their scything skills, the participating countries can also present their cultural heritage. On the evening before the big event, a draw of competition order will be followed by a display of national customs and traditions.
Before the start of the race, there is a mass and a blessing of scythes, followed by a parade of entrants wearing their national costumes and displaying their tools. A real feast for the eyes!
All scythers who have even taken part in a European Scything Championship say it was an unforgettable experience and cannot wait to get together again.
The chronology of European Championships
May 1968 First letter – preparations and arrangements for the 1969 event
20 June 1969 The first Bavaria vs Tyrol competition (12 scythers per team) in Altenbeuren, Bavaria
- Overall winner: Franz Holzner, Tyrol
- Winning team: Bavaria
25 July 1971 Three Country Competition (Bavaria – South Tyrol – North Tyrol, 10 scythers per team) in Staß
- Overall winner: Georg Berghammer, Bavaria
- Winning team: North Tyrol
19 August 1973 Four Country Competition(Bavaria – South Tyrol – North Tyrol – Salzburg, 8 scythers per team) in Wiesen near Sterzing
- Overall winner: Georg Berghammer, Bavarska
- Winning team: South Tyrol
15 August 1975 Five Country Competition (Bavaria – South Tyrol – North Tyrol – Salzburg – Lower Austria, 7 scythers per team) in Prutting near Rosenheim
- Overall winner: Josef Kendlinger, North Tyrol
- Winning team: North Tyrol
31 July 1977 International Scything Competition (Bavaria, Austria, South Tyrol, Switzerland, 10 scythers per team) in Prutting near Rosenheim
- Overall winner: Peter Landschützer, Austria
- Winning team: Austria
9 September 1979 International Scything Competition in Toblach, South Tyrol
- Overall winner: Gerhard Kamnik, Austria
- Winning team: South Tyrol
5 July 1981 International Scything Competition in Lavamünd in Kärnten, Austria
- Overall winner: Anton Rabanser, South Tyrol
- Winning team: South Tyrol
14 August 1983 International Scything Competition in Altenbeuren
- Overall winner: Johann Stricker, Austria
- Winning team: Austria
28 August 1985 International Scything Competition in Lüsen, South Tyrol
- Overall winner: Josef Mayer, Bavaria
- Winning team: Bavaria
19 July 1987 International Scything Competition in Weer, Tyrol
- Overall winner: Simon Oberrauch, South Tyrol
- Winning team: South Tyrol
23 July 1989 International Scything Competition in Frassdorf, Bavaria
- Overall winner: Ferdinand Penn, South Tyrol
- Winning team: South Tyrol
21 July 1991 International Scything Competition in Kastelruth, South Tyrol
- Overall winner (M): Ferdinand Penn, South Tyrol
- Overall winner (W): Irmgard Baumgartner, South Tyrol
- Winning team: South Tyrol
25 June 1993 International Scything Competition in Rothenthurn, Switzerland
- Overall winner (M): Josef Oberhöller, South Tyrol
Overall winner (W): Margit Meusburger, Austria
- Winning team (M): South Tyrol
- Winning team (W): Austria
3 September 1995 International Scything Competition in Hohenzeil, Lower Austria
- Overall winner (M): Jakob Frick, Switzerland
- Overall winner (W): Irmgard Baumgartner, South Tyrol
- Winning team (M): South Tyrol
- Winning team (W): South Tyrol
16 and 17 August 1997 International Scything Competition in Altenbeuern, Bavaria
- Overall winner (M): Hubert Pamer, South Tyrol
- Overall winner (W): Irmgard Baumgartner, South Tyrol
- Winning team (M): Austria
- Winning team (W): Austria
14 and 15 August 1999 International Scything Competition in Kranj, Slovenia
- Overall winner (M): Georg Spiess, South Tyrol
- Overall winner (W): Larrate Izaskun, Basque Country
- Winning team (M): Austria
- Winning team (W): Austria
7 and 9 September 2001 International Scything Competition in Sarnthein, South Tyrol
- Overall winner (M): Josef Mayer, Bavaria
- Overall winner (F): Petra Mair, South Tyrol
- Winning team (M): South Tyrol
- Winning team (W): South Tyrol
5 and 7 September 2003 International Scything Competition in Segura, Basque Country
- Overall winner (M): Armin Betschart, Switzerland
- Overall winner (W): Magrit Föhn, Switzerland
- Winning team (M): Switzerland
- Winning team (W): Switzerland
28 August 2005 International Scything Competition in Herisa, Switzerland
- Overall winner (M): Stefan Tobler, Switzerland
- Overall winner (W): Rosmarie Züst, Switzerland
- Winning team (M): Switzerland
- Winning team (W): Switzerland
25 August 2007 Championship of Alpine Countries with the Basque Country in Salzburg, Austria
- Overall winner (M): Johannes Maderthaner, Austria
- Overall winner (W): Marie-Luise Löckner, Austria
- Winning team (M): Switzerland
- Winning team (W): Austria
19 – 23 August 2009 European Scything Championshipin Thundorf-Straß, Bavaria
- Overall winner (M): Armin Reichen, Switzerland
- Overall winner (W): Marie-Luise Löckner, Austria
- Winning team (M): Switzerland
- Winning team (W): Austria
19 – 21 August 2011 European Scything Championshipin Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia
- Overall winner (M): Armin Betschart, Switzerland
- Overall winner (W): Magrit Föhn, Switzerland
- Winning team (M): Switzerland
- Winning team (W): Switzerland
6 – 8 September 2013 European Scything Championship in Toblach, South Tyrol
- Overall winner (M): Armin Betschart, Switzerland
- Overall winner (W): Margit Steinmann, Austria
- Winning team (M): Switzerland
- Winning team (W): Austria
28 – 30 August 2015 European Scything Championship in Loyola – Azpeitia, Basque Country
- Overall winner (M): Georg Spiess, South Tyrol
- Overall winner (W): Magrit Föhn, Switzerland
18 – 20 August 2017 European Scything Championship in Ingenbohl – Brunnen, Switzerland
- Overall winner (M): Selinger Bernhard, Austria
- Overall winner (W): Schilcher Elisabeth, Austria
- Junior class winner (M): Wyssen Lorenz, Switzerland
- Junior class winner (W): Föhn Daniela, Switzerland
- Winning team (M): Austria
- Winning team (W): Austria
14 – 15 August 2019 European Scything Championship in Sankt Florian am Inn, Austria
- Overall winner (M): Kristjan Irsara, South Tyrol
- Overall winner (W): Karin Kronberger, Austria
- Junior class winner (M): Tobias Tobler, Switzerland
- Junior class winner (W): Daniela Föhn, Switzerland
- Winning team (M): Austria
- Winning team (W): Austria