National Ploughing Championships showcased Britain’s best ploughmen and women
12th November 2024
Britain’s ploughmen and women showcased their skills at the 73rd British National Ploughing Championships, which were held at the Thoresby Estate in Perlethorpe, Nottinghamshire.
Thoresby Estate, located in the heart of Sherwood Forest, welcomed around 250 competitors who showed off their skills.
The supreme champion over the weekend was judged to be James Witty from Malton, North Yorkshire, who ploughed with a Ford tractor and Kverneland plough.
Mr Witty, an ex-world and British champion, was also crowned the British conventional ploughing champion, winning the final with 300 points, just six points ahead of runner-up and the 2023 champion, Ashley Boyles from Lincolnshire.
The British Reversible Plough-Off Final was won by Ian Brewer from Wadebridge, Cornwall, using a combination of Case IH/Kverneland, with 361 points.
He had a good lead over the runner-up, Mick Chappell from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, who finished with 335 points.
Mr Witty and Mr Brewer will go on to represent England in the 2025 World Ploughing Contest in the Czech Republic.
Mick Chappell and third-placed Will Tupper from Pulborough, West Sussex, will represent England in the 2025 European Reversible Ploughing Championships that will be held at Retford, Nottinghamshire, on 1st and 2nd March 2025.
Vintage plough
In the four Vintage Plough-Off Finals, the winners will qualify to represent England in the 2025 European Vintage Ploughing Championships, again to be held in Nottinghamshire in March 2025.
The Vintage Trailed Plough-Off Final was won by John Crowder from Sturton-by-Stow, Lincolnshire, using his Fordson N and Ransome RLSD Major plough, with 278 points. Mr Crowder is the present European vintage champion, having won his title in the Republic of Ireland in September.
In second place, just seven points behind was another ex-European champion, John Milnes from Penistone, South Yorkshire, using a Massey Ferguson 35 and Ransome RSLD plough.
It was a repeat result from the previous year in the Vintage Hydraulic Plough-Off Final, won once again by reigning champion, Richard Ingram from Atherstone, Warwickshire, using a Massey Ferguson 35 and Ransome TS54 plough who had 290 points and a massive lead over runner-up, Ian Berriman from Driffield, East Yorkshire, who scored 255 points with the same tractor and plough combination.
Jon Cole from Whitchurch, near Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, won the classic title for the second year running, with 272 points, ploughing with his Nuffield 10/42 and Ransome TS86 plough.
Mr Cole is one of the most photographed ploughmen, as he has a ‘seat’ on the tractor mudguard for his spaniel, Rosie.
Runner-up was David Thomlinson from Escrick, North Yorkshire, who ploughed with a Ford 3000 and Ransome TS86 and finished with 261 points.
A Massey Ferguson 65 and Ransome TS82 plough won the Classic Reversible Final for Graham Sutton from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, with 295 points, 10 points ahead of Steven Watkins from Maltby, South Yorkshire, with his Massey Ferguson 35 and Ransome TS82.
The other main titles over the weekend were the overall horse ploughing champion, won by Martin Kerswell from Fordingbridge, Hampshire, and his magnificent Percherons, Pierre, and Gringo; the overall uoung farmers champion, which was taken by 22-year-old Will Marshall from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, who was ploughing in the conventional class and the high cut ploughing champion, won by Shaun Garrod from Attleborough, Norfolk.
Event well-supported by people from throughout the contry
Sue Frith, chief executive of the Society of Ploughmen, who organised the championships, said: “The championships are really well-supported by people from throughout the country and our volunteers worked hard to put on a fantastic event this year. It was a great site provided by Thoresby Farming, and it was a pleasure to be invited to their beautiful estate”.
The main sponsors of the event were Bridgestone/Firestone and further support was given by AR Demolition, Cheffins, Dales Agri Sales Agency, Aztec Oils, B&B Tractors, HME, Homefire, JCB Agriculture, Northfield Fencing and Ripon Farm Services. Full results can be found on here.
Next year’s event, the 74th British National Ploughing Championships, will be held on 11th and 12th October 2025 at Allesley, near Coventry, in West Midlands, by kind permission of the Brandreth Family and the Sir Thomas White Trust.
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