HCPM23: Shortreed reflects on a year as a Princess

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

It has been a memorable year for Walton’s Jillian Shortreed, but, at this year’s Huron County Plowing Match, she will pass off the Princess crown to someone else.

 

At last year’s match, held at the Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh farm of Brian and Annette MacKenzie, Shortreed was crowned Princess, ending Grace Hallahan’s reign, which was the longest in Huron County history - extended as a result of matches and competitions not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

When Shortreed decided to put her name forward and be part of the competition, she did so as someone with a long and storied history with the match. She and her family have been attending the match for years and have been very involved, so when the time came, it was just about as close to a no-brainer as it could be. Plus, with a past-Princess for a sister, she had a built-in advisor and coach for the challenge ahead.

 

While Shortreed was actively taking part in the competition, there was a certain drive to win; however, she really focused on having fun, making friends and enjoying the plowing match last year, rather than stressing about the performance. She said she was nervous when it was her time to speak on the big stage, but that she felt she did well, though acknowledged the stiff competition she faced as well.

 

When she was named the winner, she said it honestly didn’t feel real. However, once she let it sink in and she was crowned, she was excited for the year ahead.

 

Not only did she enjoy her time alongside Luanne McGregor, who would be crowned the new Queen of the Furrow the next night, but being from the same county as the provincial Queen of the Furrow (Maranda Klaver would be crowned the following month in the Ottawa area) certainly opened plenty of doors and presented a lot of opportunities.

 

Shortreed said that one of the most memorable events she attended was the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, an event she had never attended before. Being at events and seeing Klaver speak or present was a thrill, Shortreed said, and not all local Queens or Princesses get those opportunities.

 

Over the course of the year, she really worked to further the story of the Princess and Queen of the Furrow programs alongside McGregor and Klaver. She said that, while crowns and sashes are involved, it was important to make it clear that the competition is not a beauty pageant, but a celebration of agricultural representatives. People like Klaver and McGregor can be real role models for women in agriculture through a program like the Queen of the Furrow, she said.

 

That was the message that Shortreed and McGregor brought to Clinton when they became the first Princess and Queen of the Furrow duo to speak at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School. They spoke to the student body about the program, the match and all that the Huron County Plowmen’s Association does to further agriculture in the county.

 

Looking ahead now, Shortreed said it’s hard to believe that her year as Princess is coming to an end. She said she will carry with her great memories of the past 12 months, but that she’s excited to be part of this match and see who the next Princess will be.
As for the future, Shortreed said that, for her, the Princess program did its job and she is certainly considering being a contestant for Queen of the Furrow when the time comes.

 

Created as a feeder program for the Queen of the Furrow competition nearly 20 years ago, many Princesses and Princess contestants (including Klaver and McGregor) have gone on to win the Queen of the Furrow crown in Huron County.
The Princess contestants will be on stage on Junior Day of the Huron County Plowing Match, set for Thursday, Aug. 17. The speeches will begin at 1 p.m. and a winner will be crowned later that afternoon.