All respect!

Burgenland woman is Austria’s best bed ploughman

Hannah Thrackl is not averse to technical progress: "It can speed up work processes, but machines will never replace people."(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

Hannah Thrackl (22) from Kobersdorf was the only female participant in the national plowing competition in Walding, Upper Austria.

Hannah Thrackl from Kobersdorf is a passionate farmer. Even as a child, she watched harrowing, plowing and sowing. Since graduating from the Francisco-Josephinum agricultural college in Wieselburg, she has been helping out full-time on her parents Karin and Helmut's arable farm, which she would like to take over later. Together they farm 22 hectares.

The men were left in awe
Recently, the young farmer, who was already the state plowing champion in 2017, also competed in this supreme discipline at the national competition, which was held this year by Landjugend Österreich in Walding, Upper Austria. Hannah was the only woman! "Of course, I didn't miss the skeptical looks from my 32 male competitors. They were all the more amazed when I won bronze in the bed plow category and was even able to secure a place on the podium. My colleague Julian Cecil from Leithaprodersdorf and I even won silver in the team competition," says Thrackl, delighted with her medals.

Lofty goals
In addition to numerous fans and spectators, a number of guests of honor also attended the national competition, including State Secretary for Youth Claudia Plakolm and Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer. "He congratulated us personally at the award ceremony. I think it's cool that he didn't mention that women also have what it takes to plow. It goes without saying that we women can do anything!"

Hannah Thrackl also wants to take part in the next national plowing competition in Carinthia in 2025: "My goal is to come first. It qualifies you to take part in the World Plowing Championships. I really want to be there."