Inside look at Chatham's cow chip throw
Updated: July 19, 2012
Chatham - Some will toss bags or horseshoes. But those in Chatham prefer to toss around cow chips.
Yes, the same cow chips that are the end product of a cow's meal.
"The cow chip throw started nationwide with the rotary club back in the 1970's," said festival and cow chip historian John Moore. "And it came to the sweet corn festival in the first and second event."
The Chatham Rotary Club is now defunct, but the Chatham Jaycees have taken over. It remains one of the staples in the town's sweet corn festival.
"Corn and poop," Moore said as he tried to describe the festival. "They say you don't buy the corn, you only borrow it.
There are several divisions for the contest, separated by gender and age. They even have a VIP toss, where local celebrities will come in to try their hand at the toss.
There are also said to be a variety of ways one can toss the cow pie. Karen Epley, who will compete in her first contest on Saturday, said she prefers the Frisbee-style throw. Others will throw with an overhand-style, while supposed "traditional" way is a side arm motion with the arm not extending above the shoulder.
"You want a chip with a lot of fiber in it so it's not gonna fall apart as it goes through the air, Moore explains." And it has to have the right shape and aero lift so it gets plenty of distance" Moore said.
Jeremy Ackerman is no stranger to the sport of cow chip throwing. He took second last year, throwing his disc more than 120 feet.
"I've grown up on a farm," Ackerman responded when asked if he thought it was unsettling to be flinging dried feces. "This isn't new to me."
Cow chip throws are actually recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. The record stands at 266 feet.
The cow chip throw isn't full of it, however. Chatham Jaycees co-chairman Chad Formea said proceeds from the event go to various charitable causes around the town; including an opportunity for underprivileged children to buy winter clothes later in the year.
