The National Scythe Mowing Championship annually brings together experienced mowing masters, beginners, and everyone who wants to better understand the old tradition of scythe mowing in one meadow. In the championship, not only speed is important – participants’ work is evaluated based on mowing quality, accuracy, cleanliness of the swath, and the ability to properly handle the scythe.
The woman who won the most awards
One of the most prominent participants of this year’s championship was Seda Bukauskienė. She not only won the Scythe Mower of the Year title but also triumphed in the “Elegant Mowing” event and, together with Tadas Suraučius, in the “SeDas” team, received an award for the fastest performance in the team competition.
After the awards, the winner looked at her victories with humor.
“I won’t rest until I mow all the Rupkalviai meadows,” joked Seda Bukauskienė, who became the Scythe Mower of the Year.
The event organizers said with a smile that the energy and strength of the participants prove that scythe mowing is a source of health and good mood.
“Today, so many cheerful and energetic participants from all over Lithuania have gathered here. We see that the enthusiasm for scythe mowing does not disappear anywhere; on the contrary, it only grows. It’s nice to see that enthusiastic participants return, and those who have never held a scythe before also find their way to the championship,” said one of the event organizers, communication expert of the Baltic Environmental Forum, Rita Grinienė.
The awards of this year’s National Scythe Mowing Championship went to:
● Scythe Mower of the Year – Liudas Tauginas;
● Scythe Mower of the Year (female) – Seda Bukauskienė;
● “Scythe Swing,” 50-meter event – Kęstutis Marcinkus;
● “Scythe Debut,” 30-meter newcomers event – Dominykas Šinkonis;
● “Elegant Mowing” – Seda Bukauskienė;
● Team competition “The Big Swath” award “Flying Scythes” for the fastest mowing team went to “SeDas” – Seda Bukauskienė and Tadas Suraučius;
● Team competition “The Big Swath” award “Quality Guaranteed” for the highest quality mowing team went to “We Can Do Better” – Žygimantas Jėcka and Justinas Kairys.
Mowing that helps preserve living meadows
The Rupkalviai meadows were chosen for this championship not by chance.
Scythe mowing here is also connected with nature conservation. Working manually, the mower can notice bird nests or other animals in the meadow and avoid them, and properly maintained wet meadows remain important habitats for rare species.
The Rupkalviai meadows are especially significant for the marsh warbler – one of the rarest European songbirds. Therefore, the championship reminds us that traditional mowing can mean not only respect for a craft of the past but also a more attentive human relationship with today’s landscape.
The fifth championship once again proved that the scythe in Lithuanian meadows is not just a symbol of the past. It is a tool around which people, craftsmanship, living tradition, and care for nature can still come together today.
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