World Ploughing Champion Takes Another Title
18/10/06

Simon Witty from Malton, North Yorkshire, the current World Reversible Ploughing Champion, is the new British National Reversible Ploughing Champion, winning the coveted title for the fourth year in a row.  His victory earns him a trip to Lithuania next year to the 2007 World Ploughing Contest, where he will attempt to retain his World title. 

Simon Witty, won for the fourth year in a row

Ploughing under perfect conditions at the 56th British National Ploughing Championships, held on October 14th and 15th at Loseley Park, near Guildford, Surrey, ploughmen faced stiff competition.  In a dramatic ending of the results, there was a tie for the first place in the Conventional Ploughing Championships between past British Champions Adrian Brewer from Cornwall, and John Hill from South Yorkshire, who both finished with 269 points.  Using a ‘countback’ system used to find an outright winner in the event of a tied place, Adrian Brewer came out top by just one point.  Third place went to Geoff Fretwell from South Yorkshire with 256 points.

In the Reversible Final, with 333 points, Simon Witty comfortably held off the challenge from Peter Alderslade from Tyne & Wear, who finished second with 309 points.  Third place was Ian Wilson from North Wales with 275 points.

Glorious weather over the weekend meant conditions were near perfect for the event – rain earlier in the week had dried enough on top to make the site easily accessible for visitors and had helped the conditions for ploughing. Speaking at the award ceremony after the final plough offs, Ken Chappell, Executive Director of the Society of Ploughmen, the Championships’ organisers said: “Loseley Park has been a perfect venue and we are especially grateful to the More-Molyneux family for allowing us on to their land and for the very warm welcome they gave us.  It has been an excellent two days and ploughing conditions have been perfect, with just enough variation between the plots to make the competitors work really hard.

 “We are also extremely grateful for the unstinting support that we have received from our main sponsors National Grid, Firestone and Goodyear.” 

Fourteen pairs of magnificent shire horses ploughed side-by-side, with John Fairbairn from Berwick, Northumberland and Peter Brassett from Stanley, Co Durham sharing the honours, with John coming out on top in the General Purpose Class and Peter the winner of the Oat Seed Furrow class.

The 2006 National Vintage Champion Ploughman is Richard Ingram from Atherstone, Warwickshire who fought his way through the regional qualifying rounds in order to win a place in the National Finals.  He clinched the title by winning the Vintage Hydraulic Plough Class on the second day, beating the winner of the Vintage Trailing Ploughing Class, John Milnes from Penistone, South Yorkshire and the winner of the Vitnage Classic Ploughing Class, Stuart Forsyth from Northumberland.

The two National Young Farmers’ Classes were as hotly contested as ever, with Ian Brewer from St Issey, Cornwall – closely following in his father Adrian’s footsteps – winning the reversible title and Robert Iredale from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.  Robert took the overall National Young Farmers Champion title.

56th British National Ploughing Championships results

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