Lichfield and district ploughing match

[Roy Stokes]

That's a pity Roy, but it'll give someone else a chance of a cup!

I might have lost form from the last year or 3 and they would all have a chance anyway

 

[arcobob]

@arcobob - as I am a steward at Lichfield and although I have been for quite a long time, I'm not quite at the doddery stage yet. I am very interested in your references to 'world style' as I can find no mention of this in any of the rules for the WPA online , or in the rule book of the SOP under whose rules we operate, the pre Q cab reference to classic eligibility is taken from SOP rules?

Both @ploughman1963 and @Roy Stokes have ploughed with us on many occasions, we are always keen to learn how we can improve our match and if we need to change or add to our classes to encourage more entries then we would be delighted to do so. One thing that you would like is that we police hand work religiously and have eliminated it successfully IMO.

Your vintage class States "tractors made before 1959" SOP rules state "to have been in production before 31st. December 1959", a vast difference. In your classic class you state that tractors to be made before Q cab 1972. SOP rules state before Q cab 1976. Only four years difference I admit but enough to create some rule breakers and some very angry people. My reference to world style is commonly used term referring to conventional ploughing with no vintage restrictions or plough and control restrictions.
You may not be doddery but you are clearly not familiar with the SOP rules by which you claim to operate. With regard to your clampdown on handling you are to be applauded. This subject is likely to run again as clear evidence of some high profile perpetrators is collected.

 

[Ley253]

Chaffcutter, these are the basic world style class requirements. Min depth 8" Min furrow width 12" no restriction on plough other than tailfins which cannot be more than 300mm from the end of the board. Other wise its ploughing as normal.

 

[chaffcutter]

Thank you @arcobob, you are quite right, the 31st December 1959 is the cut off for vintage. For Classics, SOP actually states 'produced prior to Q cab, approx 1976' so the important bit is the Q cab. However we have not had any problem with interpretation of these as yet, but I will ensure that the spec is corrected in next years schedule.
As regards 'World Style' it may be a commonly used term, but as I said before, there does not seem to be an SOP or WPO specification for such a class. Our classes are all as specified by the SOP afaik.

 

[chaffcutter]

@Ley253 where did you get that spec from please?

 

[Ley253]

@Ley253 where did you get that spec from please?

I have "grown up" with it, its the class I plough in. I dont think there is a set of specs as there are no restrictions, so specs would be pointless

 

[arcobob]

Thank you @arcobob, you are quite right, the 31st December 1959 is the cut off for vintage. For Classics, SOP actually states 'produced prior to Q cab, approx 1976' so the important bit is the Q cab. However we have not had any problem with interpretation of these as yet, but I will ensure that the spec is corrected in next years schedule.
As regards 'World Style' it may be a commonly used term, but as I said before, there does not seem to be an SOP or WPO specification for such a class. Our classes are all as specified by the SOP afaik.

The SOP vintage classification specifies "to have been in production before 31st. December 1959". The salient point is in production because my tractor was made in 1960 and qualifies, along with a multitude of International B275s made up to 1967. That is very significant.

 

[Sprayer]

If someone can tell me where to find the specification for a 'world style' class, I'm sure we could accommodate one even this year, but As above I can't find a definition of the qualifications for this class in any of the rule books, if you have this do please let me know so that we can all learn something.
All our classes except the European Match plot are parallel 100 yd plots varying in size depending on the class spec. Euro plots are to SOP spec.

World style is basically is really the old semi digger open conventional ploughing class. Any type of semi digger type body with no restriction on plough design minimum depth 20cms. Hydraulic top link, front furrow width & front furrow depth is allowed as well as extra depth wheels. All types of bodies and combinations of skimmers and flexible tailpieces are allowed, and no restriction on the type of tractor used. At the National it is classed as semi digger. In the rule book it is classed as conventional ploughing on page 3.
I am sure someone will soon correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Sprayer]

Your vintage class States "tractors made before 1959" SOP rules state "to have been in production before 31st. December 1959", a vast difference. In your classic class you state that tractors to be made before Q cab 1972. SOP rules state before Q cab 1976. Only four years difference I admit but enough to create some rule breakers and some very angry people.

I think the problem lies in the interpretation, safety cabs became a legal requirement in 1972, Q cabs (Quiet) cabs became a requirement in 1976. Have I got that right???

 

[arcobob]

I think the problem lies in the interpretation, safety cabs became a legal requirement in 1972, Q cabs (Quiet) cabs became a requirement in 1976. Have I got that right???

I think you are right but not certain.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

I think the problem lies in the interpretation, safety cabs became a legal requirement in 1972, Q cabs (Quiet) cabs became a requirement in 1976. Have I got that right???

1970

 

[Sprayer]

1970

I'm wrong again.

 

[chaffcutter]

Moving on a bit to interpretation and detail in the rule book, why are Fiskars and several other makes, YCN etc bodies not allowed in the Classic class? They must have been in production at the relevant dates?

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

Moving on a bit to interpretation and detail in the rule book, why are Fiskars and several other makes, YCN etc bodies not allowed in the Classic class? They must have been in production at the relevant dates?

now then i will agree with, it was some rules brought in by some SOP men years ago, as I think they did not want others to beat them with the gear they were using, talk about shifting the goal posts,

however i am sure that it has been changed now, and it is to do with age of plough, I may be wrong and hopefully some one will be along to put be right, as far as i know, you can use the likes of SCN, YCN in the classic class now

 

[Sprayer]

now then i will agree with, it was some rules brought in by some SOP men years ago, as I think they did not want others to beat them with the gear they were using, talk about shifting the goal posts,

however i am sure that it has been changed now, and it is to do with age of plough, I may be wrong and hopefully some one will be along to put be right, as far as i know, you can use the likes of SCN, YCN in the classic class now

I don't know the official reason but I was told that it was to keep the classic classes affordable and the standard of ploughing on a level playing field. The boards listed above are far more expensive to buy and not readily available second hand. That is why there is the "world style" class where these bodies are usually employed. The classic can then remain the domain of the chap that totally ploughs for fun with a "relatively" cheap easily found second hand unsophisticated tractor and plough and achieve success. There again I am guessing and going on hearsay. Perhaps I should add and long may it continue.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

I don't know the official reason but I was told that it was to keep the classic classes affordable and the standard of ploughing on a level playing field. The boards listed above are far more expensive to buy and not readily available second hand. That is why there is the "world style" class where these bodies are usually employed. The classic can then remain the domain of the chap that totally ploughs for fun with a "relatively" cheap easily found second hand unsophisticated tractor and plough and achieve success. There again I am guessing and going on hearsay.

well i dont buy that, as the likes of the SCN is far easier and cheaper to get hold of for the hoby ploughman on the field than TCN,
is it true that it is now age related ie SCN are allowed in the classic class ?

 

[arcobob]

We had this discussion in a previous thread and came to no conclusion then. Those who are members of the SOP should get an explanation from the horses mouth. I just looked up European championship rules and it clearly states that ploughs to have been manufactured before December 31st. 1976 and mouldboards to have been available for that plough at the time of manufacture . I cannot see how we can operate at variance to European rules.. We should also be able to use bar point SCNs in vintage by that reckoning but I would rather avoid the complication.

 

[Roy Stokes]

The classic class was born from ploughmen wanting to use their TS 86's that had been outclassed by more modern equipment in the semi digger/world style class, that is my theory on it, and it just so happens that the mould boards allowed in the classic class, i.e TCN, RWM and YL 183 were the options available on the TS 86 when new, a fact that strengthens my theory somewhat

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

now then i will agree with, it was some rules brought in by some SOP men years ago, as I think they did not want others to beat them with the gear they were using, talk about shifting the goal posts,


So I was right then

 

[Roy Stokes]

now then i will agree with, it was some rules brought in by some SOP men years ago, as I think they did not want others to beat them with the gear they were using, talk about shifting the goal posts,


So I was right then

Most probably John, I haven't heard that you can now use SCN/UCN/YCN type bodies though