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CROWDS FLOCK TO SPECTACULAR BRITISH NATIONAL PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPSA wet spell earlier in the week failed to keep visitors away from the 57th British National Ploughing Championships, held at Crockey Hill, near York on Saturday and Sunday, October 13th and 14th. A crowd of just under 16,000 over the two days saw some of Britain’s top ploughmen in action as they fought for the two national titles at stake. It was third time lucky in the final for Ashley Boyles, from Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, who is the 2007 British National Conventional Ploughing Champion. Ploughing with a Kverneland plough and Massey Ferguson tractor, he finished with 252 points - just two points ahead of ex-World Champion, John Hill from Hoylandswaine, South Yorkshire. Third place, with 246 points was another ex-World Champion, James Witty from Malton, North Yorkshire. Twenty-four year old Ashley had been ploughing in the young farmers class up until two years ago, when he switched to the conventional class, to face much tougher competition. In
the reversible final, Peter Alderslade, from East Bolden, Tyne & Wear
cruised to victory with 305 points using a Kverneland plough and Valtra tractor.
He was 33 points clear of second place Ian Wilson from Penyfford, North
Wales. Third place with 260 points was Colin Bowen from Craven Arms,
Shropshire. Peter is a
regular face in the finals – with 2007 being his eighth appearance. He has been runner-up before and has ploughed in the European
Reversible Ploughing Championships on four occasions. Ashley Boyles and Peter Alderslade will now represent England
at the 2008 World Ploughing Contest in Austria next August.
Ploughing
conditions were ideal for ploughmen this year - the heavy rain on Tuesday had
softened the ground well, which made the standard of ploughing at the event
high. The
young farmers classes were hotly contested, and the reversible title went this
year to 22 year-old Ian Brewer from Wadebridge, Cornwall using a Case tractor
and Kverneland plough. A Nuffield
tractor and Kverneland plough combination helped Robert Iredale from
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire take the conventional young farmers title.
Twenty-two year old Robert also took the overall title of National Young
Farmers Champion. In
the horse ploughing classes, Peter Brassett from Beamish, Co Durham beat the
opposition to earn the title of Champion Horse Ploughman.
His aggregate total of 425 points for the two days of the competition put
the result well out of reach of all the other competitors. The
2007 National Vintage Champion Ploughman is Michael Watkins from Maltby, South
Yorkshire, who fought his way through the regional qualifying rounds in order to
win a place in the National Finals. He
clinched the title by winning the vintage trailing ploughing class on the second
day. The vintage hydraulic
ploughing class was won by Scotland’s Bobby Douglas from Ancrum, Jedburgh and
the classic ploughing class was won by David Greenwood from Garforth, near
Leeds. Commenting
on the results, Ken Chappell, Executive Director of The Society of Ploughmen,
and the Championships’ organiser, said, “This was an excellent attendance
this year, in fact, on the second day there were so many cars we had to extend
the car parks! Although the ground
was very soft for spectators and sticky underfoot,
the ploughmen were very happy and we were lucky that the rain stayed away
over the weekend. We are greatly
indebted to Hobson Farming for being first rate hosts and allowing us to use
their land this year. “We
are also extremely grateful for the unstinting support that we have received
from our main sponsors National Grid, Firestone and Goodyear.”
Full results can be found on www.ploughmen.co.uk or from the Society of
Ploughmen on 01302 852469. Ends
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