73rd British National Ploughing Championships & Country Festival

12th & 13th October 2024
Thoresby Estate, near Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG22 9EB

By kind permission of Thoresby Farming

Around 250 top ploughmen and women from all over Great Britain will compete at the 73rd British National Ploughing Championships which will be held on the Thoresby Estate, near Newark, Nottinghamshire by kind permission of Thoresby Farming.  

Two busy days - Saturday and Sunday, October 12th and 13th - will be packed with competitions for many types of plough and styles of ploughing, the highpoint of which will be when the British Champions are crowned and the top competitors are selected to represent England at the 2025 World and European Ploughing Championships.

There will be a total of fifteen different ploughing classes over the weekend (detailed below) plus in six of these classes, the top 10 competitors from the first day will take part in a ‘Plough-Off Final’ on the Sunday to find the British Champion in each section.  In total, there will be around 300 ploughing plots ploughed over the two days!

It is an excellent site and and there will be plenty of free car parking space.

We are looking forward to a first class event on the Thoresby Estate with something for everyone alongside the ploughing competitions, from steam ploughing engines; vintage tractors and machinery displays; manufacturers and local dealers demonstrating the latest farm equipment available; agricultural trade stands; shopping stalls and country crafts.  

Horse ploughing is always one of the major attractions and we have nineteen pairs entered to plough this year!  Magnificently turned out with ornate brass and leather harness, these true farm ‘workhorses’ will be seen competing to produce the best general purpose ploughing on the first day and the stylish traditional ‘high cut’ work on the second day. 

More information will follow when available.

Ploughing Classes

Saturday

Class 1 – Reversible

Class 2 – Conventional

Class 3 – Vintage Trailed

Class 4 – Vintage Hydraulic

Class 5 – Classic

Class 6 – Classic Reversible

Class 7 – High Cut Tractor

Class 8 – Horses (General Purpose Work)

Class 9 – Garden Tractors (Horticultural)

Sunday

Class 10 – Ferguson

Class 11 – Ford & Fordson

Class 12 – David Brown

Class 13 – Crawler

Class 14 – High Cut Tractor

Class 15 – Horses (High Cut Work)

Plough Off Final – Conventional

Plough Off Final – Reversible

Plough Off Final – Vintage Trailed

Plough Off Final – Vintage Hydraulic

Plough Off Final – Classic

Plough Off Final – Classic Reversible

                

EVENTS PROGRAMME

SATURDAY 12^th OCTOBER

 8.45 am    Event opens
                  Parade of competitors (classes 1, 2, 4, 5 & 6)

 9.30 am    Horse & high cut ploughing commences (classes 7 & 8)

10.00 am   Ploughing commences (classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 9)

                  Hedgelaying competition commences

 2.00 pm   Tractor ploughing ends (classes 1 & 2)

 3.00 pm   Vintage & high cut ploughing ends (classes 3,4,5,6,7,9)

 3.30 pm   Horse ploughing ends (class 8)

                 Hedgelaying competition ends

 5.00 pm   Announcement of results & presentation of trophies (approximate time)

 5.30 pm  Close down

SUNDAY 13^th OCTOBER

 8.45 am    Event opens
                  Parade of Plough off competitors  & classes 10, 11, 12      

 9.30 am    Horse & high cut ploughing commences (14 & 15)

10.00 am   Plough-Offs commence  & classes 10, 11, 12 & 13)

  2.00 pm   Reversible & Conventional Plough-Offs end

  3.00 pm  Vintage & high cut tractor ploughing ends (Plough offs and classes  10, 11, 12, 13 & 14)

  3.30 pm   Horse ploughing ends (class 15)

  5.00 pm   Announcement of results & presentation of trophies  (approximate time)

   5.30 pm  Close down

There will be catering facilities on site and a licensed bar.

Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a lead at all times.

Camping on site is for Society of Ploughmen members only.  Click here for details of how to join.

Gates open from 8am

Admission Charges 

Adult - £15 per day (paid on the gate)
Child - £2 per day (paid on the gate)
Discounted tickets are available online in advance with early bird discounts available until the end of August.  

Click below to buy your tickets

 

 

        

          

    

If you would like to exhibit vintage tractors, machinery & equipment, stationary engines, rural etc

Please click here to email to register your interest