The World's Chicken-Plucking Championship
Until 1995, Spring Hill was the home of the World's Chicken-Plucking Championship.
The idea started as a gimmick by the Deltona Corp. Over the years the event morphed into a fundraiser for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10209.
For more than 30 years, based on a recount of the festival published in Mark Jury's 1977 Playtime! Americans at Leisure, here's what happened on the first Saturday in October:
Members of the Spring Hill Presbyterian Church choir, dressed in rubber beaks and formal wear - called the Chicken Concerto - clucked in harmony to songs like the William Tell Overture.
Then an Evil Kchicken, a guy dressed up like a chicken, might attempt to leap across Lake Hunter on pedal-powered sky cycle.
And then there was always the Ms. Drumstick Contest.
Women and adolescent girls wore burlap bags over their upper bodies - with slits at their eyes so they could see - and were judged on the shapeliness of their legs.
Email from a reader:
"I found your article on the Chicken Plucking from the 70’s. In the attached link, the third photo is MY Grandpa, Arthur Lartz. He bought one of the first homes there in 1968. He was Mr. Chicken! He and my Grandma have passed away. Arthur's wife's name was Bernice and she died in 2009, Grandpa (Arthur) died in 1980 I believe." - R.I.P.
After that, it was time for the main event. The announcer called the pluckers to the stage. At one time there were as many as 10 teams of about five people each plucking away at as many as 12 chickens (killed that day) handed to their teams. Whoever got done first won.
The announcer told the crowd (usually several thousand) that the birds (later specified as killed humanely) would be soaked in hot water for 15 seconds. When they were good and wet, then it was time to pluck.
After the birds were ready, it was time to pluck. The crowd went wild. Feathers flew. Sometimes there was blood.
It was usually over in less than a minute.
After the awards were handed out, people went on with eating their chicken dinners, drinking a wishbone fizz concoction and topped the day with some "chicken bones" ice cream. I really wish I was able to get some of this. Ben and Jerry's would make another million.
Complaints and protests by animal rights groups spurred the demise of the championship contest. But it lives on in history books and the memories of Spring Hill's longtime residents as yet another unique aspect of their Florida dream.
This is something you don't see these days in Spring Hill, Florida
The Book by Mark Jury, published 1977
About the Author
My name is Richard Elzey and I'm a resident of Spring Hill, Florida. I've lived here in Spring Hill since 1996. I'm in my uppers 40's, happily married, with 2 great boys. Again fell free to ask anything and I'll try to be honest in my post.