Birl Horfing teams from New York, Indiana and Lousiana joined Nanny County's finest in the first national Birl
Horfing Championships. The event was opened with a parade and grand reception last night at the Andrew Ralie
pavilion on the grounds of Strutter Community College. About 2,200 watched as the Birl Horfers from around the
nation strode into the stadium during the opening festivities.

 
Originating in Paraguay during the last century, Birl Horfing at first provided tungsten miners with a welcome
recreational outlet. Ironically, Birl Horfing is not played in Paraguay today, it declined when tungsten prices crashed
in 1931. But Birl Horfing has found a secure home in the hearts of the youth of Nanny County. It is hoped that
more interest will be shown internationally, as has been the case with baseball. Perhaps one day, Birl Horfing will
return to its native Paraguay and be revered as a national treasure - which it surely deserves.


For those new to the area, Birl Horfing involves scrambling under the wheels of a moving boxcar, hanging onto
the undercarriage, then wrestling the car off the tracks. Like calf-roping, contestants are judged by the time it takes
to immobilize the boxcar. Often, both the contestant and the boxcar are well outside the stadium before the car is
immobilized, making it essential that judges have very good eyesight.