Membership & enquiries call 01302 852469
Membership & enquiries call 01302 852469
The high point of the British competition ploughing season is the annual British National Ploughing Championships which are organised by the Society of Ploughmen in a different part of the country each year. They regularly see around 250 local ploughing champions - both men and women - competing for different titles.
There are classes for 'world style' conventional and reversible ploughs, for a number of different vintage classes with vintage champions competing for the trailing, hydraulic and classic championships. Other vintage classes include the Ferguson, the David Brown and the Ford & Fordson Championships, crawler tractors, horticultural and the stylish 'high cut' ploughing. Probably the biggest crowd pleaser each year are the heavy horses, when a dozen or more pairs of these magnificent beasts take spectators back to the days when farming was a much quieter, gentler way of life.
But there is much more to the British National Ploughing Championships than ploughing. Every year is different, but agricultural trade stands, shopping stalls and country crafts provide an 'agricultural show' atmospher to the event and there are the vintage equipment and rural displays, tractor and trailer rides and the rare opportunity to see steam ploughing tackle at work.
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In the beginning, there were two British National Ploughing Champions – for tractor ploughing and horse ploughing. This changed in 1954 to a champion in ‘whole work’ ploughing and one in ‘high cut’ ploughing.
In 1965, with the introduction of a conventional 'plough off final', there was one champion in conventional ploughing. When a reversible plough off final was introduced in 1990, there were then two champions - one in conventional and one reversible ploughing.
The most recent change made was in 2017, when three more plough-off finals were introduced for vintage ploughing - trailed, hydraulic and classic ploughs. There is now also a title for the overall Supreme Champion.
1951 Newton Kyme, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England
Tractor: W Thomas R Hawke
Horse: Alma A Wilson
1952 Dunmore, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland
Tractor: T Leslie Dixon
Horse: Reginald A Hogg
1953 Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire, England
Tractor: T Leslie Dixon
Horse: R Ivor Roberts
1954 Nynehead, Wellington, Somerset, England
Whole work: Thomas C Watkins
High Cut: Edward J Walker
1955 Sealand, Flintshire, Wales
Whole work: John D Lomas
High Cut: Edward J Walker
1956 Shillingford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England
Whole work: A John Mason
High Cut: Richard J Miller
1957 Ratho, Edinburgh, Scotland
Whole work: T Leslie Goodwin
High Cut: John Dixon
1958 Hough-on-the-Hill, Grantham, Lincolnshire
Whole work: Edgar S Davies
High Cut: Jack H Nott
1959 Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, England
Whole work: John A Gwilliam
High Cut: Henry R Jones
1960 Ripon, North Yorkshire, England
Whole work: William T Phillips
High Cut: Godfrey W Hoskins
1961 Norwich, Norfolk, England
Whole work: John W Sandford
High Cut: Henry R Jones
1962 North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
Whole work: L John Williams
High Cut: David W J Bonning
1963 Halse, Taunton, Somerset, England
Whole work: A John Mason
High Cut: J Woodie Cole
1964 Nuneham Courtney, Oxfordshire, England
Whole work: John L Nixon
High Cut: David J Bonning
1965 Storeton, Wirral, Cheshire, England
Champion: Philip Skyrme
1966 Stoneleigh, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England
Champion: T Raymond Goodwin
Champion: Robert Anderson
Note: there were two plough-off finals this year to decide competitors for the 1967 and 1968 World Ploughing Contests
1967 Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, England
Champion: Ken Chappell
1968 Alderbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
Champion: Gerald I Smith
1969 North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
Champion: Raymond H Robson
1970 Wilsic, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England
Champion: John J Metcalfe
1971 Nynehead, Wellington, Somerset, England
Champion: John B Smith
1972 Otley, Ipswich, Suffolk, England
Champion: John Milnes
1973 Thorpe Willoughby, Selby, North Yorkshire, England
Champion: Leslie F Waudby
1974 Fawley Court, Herefordshire, England
Champion: Vivian E Samuel
1975 Wispington, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England
Champion: J Thomas Smith
1976 Tamhorn Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire, England
Champion: J Thomas Smith
1977 Crowhurst, Lingfield, Surrey, England
Champion: Vivian E Samuel
1978 Stannington, Newcastle, Northumberland, England
Champion: Vivian E Samuel
1979 Cross Houses, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
Champion: T Raymond Goodwin
1980 Burwell, Newmarket, Cambridgeshire, England
Champion: T Raymond Goodwin
1981 Wing, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
Champion: David W J Bonning
1982 Crosby-on-Eden, Carlisle, Cumbria, England
Champion: Frank H Millington
1983 Broadlands, Romsey, Hampshire, England
Champion: John P Hill
1984 Wispington, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England
Champion: Vivian E Samuel
1985 Glamis, Forfar, Angus, Scotland (Cancelled)
1985 Farnsfield, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England
Champion: John P Hill
1986 Bridge Sollers, Herefordshire, England
Champion: John P Hill
1987 Ellington, Morpeth, Northumberland, England
Champion: T Raymond Goodwin
1988 Weston, Crewe, Cheshire, England
Champion: H Graeme Witty
1989 Kingston, Modbury, Devon, England
Champion: H Graeme Witty
1990 Worlaby, Brigg, Humberside, England
Conventional: H Graeme Witty
Reversible: John P Hill
1991 Burwell, Newmarket, Cambridgeshire, England
Conventional: H Graeme Witty
Reversible: John P Hill
1992 Farnsfield, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England
Conventional: H Graeme Witty
Reversible: John P Hill
1993 Shillingford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England
Conventional: Adrian J Brewer
Reversible: John P Hill
1994 Wansford, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England
Conventional: Adrian J Brewer
Reversible: James G Witty
1995 Nynehead, Wellington, Somerset, England
Conventional: Michael G Holloway
Reversible: Peter Waters
1996 Swinefleet, Goole, East Yorkshire, England
Conventional: Rowland H Glanville
Reversible: John P Hill
1997 Leeds, Maidstone, Kent, England
Conventional: J David Chappell
Reversible: H Graeme Witty
1998 Preston Capes, Daventry, Northamptonshire, England
Conventional: Adrian J Brewer
Reversible: John P Hill
1999 Shillingford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England
Conventional: N Geoffrey Fretwell
Reversible: John P Hill
2000 Grange de Lings, Lincoln, England
Conventional: Adrian J Brewer
Reversible: James G Witty
2001 Brougham, Penrith, Cumbria (cancelled due to Foot & Mouth)
2002 Wilsic, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England
Conventional: Nigel Vickers
Reversible: James G Witty
2003 Brougham, Penrith, Cumbria, England
Conventional: John P Hill
Reversible: Simon L Witty
2004 South Stoke, Reading, Berkshire, England
Conventional: Don Woodhouse
Reversible: Andrew B Mitchell (senior)
2005 Soham, Ely, Cambridgeshire, England
Conventional: John P Hill
Reversible: Simon L Witty
2006 Loseley Park, Guildford, Surrey, England
Conventional: Adrian J Brewer
Reversible: Simon L Witty
2007 Crockey Hill, York, North Yorkshire, England
Conventional: Ashley C Boyles
Reversible: Peter A Alderslade
2008 Marden, near Tonbridge, Kent, England
Conventional: Ashley C Boyles
Reversible: Peter A Alderslade
2009 Soham, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, England
Conventional: Simon L Witty
Reversible: Colin R Bowen
2010 Grange-de-Lings, Lincoln, England
Conventional: John P Hill
Reversible: Colin R Bowen
2011 Bishops Lydeard, Taunton, Somerset, England
Conventional: John P Hill
Reversible: Colin R Bowen
2012 Whittington, Lichfield, Staffordshire, England
Conventional: Ashley C Boyles
Reversible: Peter A Alderslade
2013 Llanwarne, Hereford, Herefordshire England
Conventional: John P Hill
Reversible: Peter A Alderslade
2014 Wootton St Lawrence, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England
Conventional: J David Chappell
Reversible: Peter A Alderslade
2015 Marden, Tonbridge, Kent, England
Conventional: J David Chappell
Reversible: Peter A Alderslade
2016 Crockey Hill, York, North Yorkshire, England
Conventional: Don Woodhouse
Reversible: Ian J Brewer
2017 Bishops Lydeard, Taunton, Somerset, England
Reversible: Michael D Chappell
Conventional: Ashley C Boyles
Vintage Trailed: John Milnes
Vintage Hydraulic: Richard W Ingram
Vintage Classic: Jon Cole
Supreme Champion: Ashley C Boyles
2018 Austrey, Atherstone, Warwickshire, England
Reversible: Peter A Alderslade
Conventional: J David Chappell
Vintage Trailed: Raymond Alderson
Vintage Hydraulic: Richard W Ingram
Vintage Classic: Jon Cole
Supreme Champion: J David Chappell
2019 Nocton, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England
Reversible: Michael D Chappell
Conventional: Evan Watkin
Vintage Trailed: John Milnes
Vintage Hydraulic: Richard W Ingram
Vintage Classic: David J Thomlinson
Supreme Champion: Evan Watkin
2020 Mindrum, Northumberland, England (postponed due to Covid-19)
Ploughing matches are held across the UK and throughout the year. They offer the chance for both novice and experienced ploughmen and women to take part. It's also a fantastic day out for families and people who enjoy the countryside and rural living.
The high point of the British competition ploughing season is the annual British National Ploughing Championships. With classes for conventional, reversible and horse-drawn ploughs as well as vintage tractors and ploughs.