In the Canary Islands, plough lifting is considered a sport activity and a test of physical strength, where mental concentration, skill and artfulness come together. This activity is relatively new, and all available data points to the beginning of the XX Century as the birth of it. It began to be practised around the Telde Strip in the Southeast of Gran Canaria, but it is not as well known as Canarian Wrestling due to its short existence as a sport. It is, however, practised in Gran Canaria, Tenerife and, more recently, in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.
The pioneer of this sport was a farmer from Telde, Matias Hernandez, who around the 1920's used to amaze his neighbours by lifting his plough with his bare hands. But the one who really was responsible for spreading this activity was a wrestler named Francisco Rodriguez Franco (Faro de Maspalomas), who emulating Matias Hernandez made the sport an integral part of every festivity in the farms, as well as a show between wrestling matches and many other Canarian sports contests.
There was a very famous meet between Faro de Maspalomas and a Swedish weightlifting champion, which took place in the Malpais area of Telde.
There are certain rules that must be followed to practise plough lifting; the plough must be around 4,50mts.in length and must weigh around 100kgs. including the leather, wood and metal parts that comprise the head and the tail.

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