At the Abraham Lincoln Railsplitting
Festival Saturday afternoon, competitions included the women’s
firewood split and team railsplit.
Women’s firewood split
First up was the women’s firewood split.
Bob Rankin, competition announcer, explained the rules for the
women’s firewood split. Rankin said they needed to try to cut six
pieces of firewood out of the two logs they were given.
This year, there were four women
involved in the competition. Those competitors were Heidi Mueller,
Jennifer White, Norah Vannoy and Laci Nunn.
2025 Abraham
Lincoln National Railsplitting Festival Women's firewood split -
Video
Some of the wood was hard to split,
so they all had a bit of a rough start. Finally, all of the women
had split the wood into six pieces.
First place for the women’s
firewood competition was Jennifer White. Second place went to Norah
Vannoy and third place to Heidi Mueller.
Team Railsplit
Next up was the team rail split. For this competition, there were
five teams. The teams were made up of Casey Ballinger and Ryan
Ballinger, Jonathan Norin and Bryce Muir, Jason Nunn and Kila
Robinson, Cory Freidlein and Evan Combs and Zach Darnall and Tony
Swanson.
Many of them are long time competitors in the team railsplit and
other competitions.
2025
Abraham Lincoln National Railsplitting Festival Team Railsplit Part
1 - Video
2025 Abraham
Lincoln National Railsplitting Festival Team Railsplit Part 2 -
Video
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For this competition, teams were
required to split a large log into eight rails with each of them
taking turns splitting. The rules said that each rail had to be a
clean split clearly separate from the other rail. In addition, all
tools and wedges had to be removed from the work area. When the
team’s work was done, the competitor called time. The timing judge
would then inspect the area to make sure all rails were separate,
and all tools removed.
The conditions of the logs made it
a challenge for the splitters. Though some logs appeared to be
straight grained and split easily, one log was so twisted and
knotted, the team was only able to split it into two pieces.
First place in the team railsplit
was Jonathan Norin and Bryce Muir. Second place went to Mike
Emberton and Tyler Pilchard, and third place went Casey Ballinger
and Ryan Ballinger
As with all the weekend competitions, the top three winners received
a certificate and a cash prize.
Whether a long time competitor or new to the competition scene,
those who participate are part of a long-standing tradition in
Lincoln and Logan County. Though it is hard work, those in the
competitions give it their all.
[Angela Reiners]
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