59th British National Ploughing Championships 

to be held at

Soham, near Ely, Cambridgeshire
CB7 5JL


by kind permission of  Mr & Mrs Eric Day

on

Saturday & Sunday
10th & 11th October 2009

The site is located to the east of the A142 Soham bypas (midway between Newmarket and Ely)

Includes:

 Heavy Horse Ploughing ~ Vintage Tractors
Modern Tractor Ploughing ~ Champion Ploughmen & Women
Trade Stands ~ Demonstrations ~ Country Crafts

Local Champion ploughmen from throughout Great Britain are preparing to travel to Cambridgeshire on October 10th & 11th, to compete in the 2009 British National Ploughing Championships.

Competitors include past and present British, European and World ploughing champions and competition will be fierce as ploughmen and women will be fighting for the supreme honour of taking the British National titles and representing their country in the 2010 World Ploughing Contest.

Ken Chappell, Executive Director of the Society of Ploughmen, said recently, "We decided to bring the event back after only four years, but it was clearly a good decision to do so, as the enthusiasm and support we are getting from our main sponsors - Goodyear and Firestone - and from local people, organisations and the agricultural trade is very encouraging.  It will add up to a ploughing spectacular and provide a great rural day out for all the family to remember".

The National Young Farmers Area Champions will compete on the first day and ploughmen in the conventional and reversible classes will parade to their plots, with the qualifying ploughmen going through to the finals on the second day.  Their prize will be the honour of representing their country in ploughing's international 'Grand Prix' World Ploughing Championships to be held in New Zealand in 2010.

Classes for vintage tractor ploughing will be held on the second day, with area champions in hydraulic, trailing and classic ploughing competing for the honour of being British National Vintage Champion and a place to represent England in the 2010 European Vintage Ploughing Championships.

Fun for all the family
The event is not only for ploughmen - visitors will be catered for with an extensive trade stand area and a taste of the past will be supplied with steam ploughing engines; vintage machines at work; rural craft displays; a static display of vintage tractors and agricultural engines; and magnificent shire horses at work demonstrating their ploughing skills.  These magnificently turned out true 'workhorses' will be decorated with ornate brass and leather harness, and undertaking the general purpose work on the first day and the stylish 'high cut' work on the second day, providing an irresistible opportunity for photographers.

In contrast, top machinery firms will be demonstrating their latest, most up-to-date, powerful, multi-furrow ploughing unites which can turn over in far less than an hour what it takes the horses a day to achieve.

Over 15,000 visitors are expected to attend the event from all parts of the country and the site will be sign posted from all major roads in the vicinity.

How to find the site

Click here for a map with the site location

 FREE CAR PARKING

Admission:
    £8 per adult per day
    £4 per senior citizen or child per day
    Special rates for coach parties, paid in advance (please contact us for details)
    A free shuttle bus will be provided from the site to Soham Town Centre

Click here for details of membership to the Society of Ploughmen (includes free admission to the event)

Click here for a link to Soham Town Council

 
PROGRAMME OF EVENTS 

FRIDAY 9th OCTOBER 

SATURDAY 10th OCTOBER 

SUNDAY 11th OCTOBER 

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