Pink Ladies’ Tractor Run races towards £1m fundraising goal

Photo credit to Jonathan Slack.

Each year, the vibrant ‘ladies only’ tractor run brings an air of excitement to villages near the Norfolk-Suffolk border, as more than a hundred tractors parade through the streets dressed in bright pink hues, as are the ladies who drive them.

The record number of entries this year marks the event’s 20^th anniversary, which has raised over £896,000 for Cancer Research UK. Led by organiser Annie Chapman BEM, the Pink Ladies are now looking to raise the remaining £104,000 to break the all-important one million mark.

Taking part for the 6^th time is Openfield’s Cecilia Pryce, who is also a regular Farmers Guide contributor. She will be driving her vintage Dexta to the event this Sunday (2^nd July), having done all the servicing on the tractor herself.

Speaking to Farmers Guide, she is keen to dispel one of the misconceptions associated with the event.

“A lot of people think that the ladies who drive in the tractor run all have to be ladies who are survivors of breast cancer, which isn’t true. Anybody can take part in the tractor run, as long as they’re a lady and they have access to a tractor – be it vintage or modern.”

A new addition to the outfit of Mrs Pryce’s Fordson Dexta this year are pink bobble hats stuffed with kids’ footballs.

Many farmers and locals are also keen to show their support by lending their tractor for ladies to drive. Mrs Pryce had originally been asked to drive a grey Massey Ferguson on behalf of an elderly gentleman’s, who’s niece was battling breast cancer at the time and wasn’t feeling up to driving the tractor herself.

“It was an honour to be asked, because there are only a finite number of old tractors and we didn’t have a tractor at the time, so there was no way I could take part unless somebody asked me to do it. So that was my first tractor run.”

She explains the event brings together people across several generations, adding that every single lady who’s driving a tractor has a reason for being there.

“It’s always a great community event; the most bizarre thing is that you wouldn’t think it would appeal, but it’s a winning combination because it’s amazing just how many people say yes to driving a tractor and it puts a smile on our faces, because it proves we can.

“It’s also a very good excuse to decorate tractors in highly inappropriate things,” she adds with a hint of mischief.

The tractor run is set to kick off from Thorpe Abbotts airfield this Sunday at 11:30am, heading towards Thorpe Abbotts and reaching Brockdish by midday, which is always a great spot to photograph tractors driving through the beck, although the crossing might be dry this year unless rain comes in the next few days.

The Pink Ladies will then catch up at Magpie’s Hockey Club at 12:20pm to make sure everyone is in line, followed by a drive through Harleston and arrival at Gawdy Hall in time for lunch at 1pm. The parade will then set off to Pulham St Mary at around 3:15pm, arriving back to Thorpe Abbotts airfield by 4:30pm.

An emotional ride

The event is renowned for drawing a large number of supporters onto the streets, and Mrs Pryce says the emotions run high among both drivers and the crowd.

“It chokes you up, you can’t drive through any of these villages without it bringing tears to your eyes, because so many people have been affected by breast cancer or cancer per se. People just come out on the street, and if you’ve never witnessed it, you’ve missed something.

“Harleston, which is a sleepy market town, is absolutely ram-packed. I don’t think there’s another event locally that brings people out in a way that does.

“It is a big event, with an awful lot of emotion attached.”

Although driving an old tractor means you’re open to the elements, Mrs Pryce says there’s nothing that can deter the Pink Ladies from taking part in the run.

“The tractor run goes on whether the heavens have opened, whether it’s freezing cold, whether we’re all in waterproofs or in blistering sunshine. We’re a hardy lot and we travel with our waterproofs just as much as we travel with our sunscreen.”

The event is also supported by a team of passionate volunteers, who work tirelessly throughout the day to make sure the Pink Ladies are looked after and everyone has a smile on their faces.

As for hitting the £1million target, Mrs Pryce said there is a strong determination among the ladies to make history this year. Many have put on big events such as car boot sales or quizzes to raise money, while others have gone door-to-door asking for the community’s support.

“We’re really desperate to get a huge amount of sponsorship this year to see if we can break the £1 million as that is an important number for us all.”

To help the Pink Ladies reach their target and make a real difference to the lives of those battling breast cancer, donate through Cecilia’s fundraising page here: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/cecilia-2023-pink-tractor-run

To find out more about the event and view photos from previous years, visit: https://www.ladiestractorroadrun.co.uk/

The group photo at the end of the day is a great testament of the passion and dedication of the Pink Ladies. Photo credit to Jonathan Slack.