British National Ploughing Championships Return To Surrey
08/08/06

After an absence of twenty-nine years the British National Ploughing Championships are returning to Surrey. Held in a different part of the country each year, this year's event is taking place at Loseley Park, near Guildford, in Surrey, on Saturday and Sunday, October 14th and 15th, by kind permission of the Loseley Park Estate. The Championships were last held in Surrey at Lingfield in 1977.

The site, which overlooks the picturesque Loseley House, will be home to more than 150 top ploughmen from all over Britain. They will contest 12 ploughing classes, each hoping to take home one of the coveted British national titles on offer.

The classes embrace many different styles of ploughing and different types of plough, from the graceful horse ploughing of bygone years to today's sophisticated tractors and ploughs. The ultimate prize of the Championships is to represent England at the 2007 World Ploughing Contest in Lithuania, a prize that goes to the winners of the conventional and reversible classes.

The organisers of the event, the Society of Ploughmen, expect upwards of 15,000 spectators over the two days and already many companies, both national and local, are supporting the championships by demonstrating, exhibiting or by providing sponsorship. Main sponsors are National Grid, Total Butler, Goodyear and Bridgestone/Firestone.

Executive Director of the Society of Ploughmen, Ken Chappell said, "Already the Championships have attracted considerable interest and we are looking forward to a first class event. Loseley Park is an excellent site and there is tremendous interest and support both in the immediate area and surrounding counties".

Visitors will see not only the highly skilled competition ploughing and an extensive trade stand area but also attractions such as vintage tractors, ploughs and equipment; a craft marquee with a wide variety of stands; and demonstrations of the latest tractors, farm machinery and equipment under working conditions covering more than 200 acres.

One of the major "family" attractions will be the horse ploughing with many pairs of heavy horses at work each day. 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.

On the first day more than 150 ploughmen - including young farmers - will parade to their plots and compete in two classes - either the practical reversible ploughing most commonly used today or the more traditional conventional style. The qualifying ploughmen will go through to the finals on the second day to find the national champions of the two styles and the 2007 World Contest contenders.

On the second day, lovers of classic machinery and equipment will enjoy three classes for vintage tractor ploughing - with trailing ploughs, hydraulic ploughs and classic ploughs - area champions competing for the honour of being the British Vintage Champion Ploughman.

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