Ploughing needs people like you, Harry, but you are behaving like a fish swimming against too strong a current. Why don`t you bite the bullet and return to your roots before it is too late?
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I have tried training young farmers and introducing them to our pastime and the ones who catch on migrate towards the vintage disciplines, the nostalgia (grandad had one of those) plays a big part. Throwing huge sums of money at world style equipment is not going to be supported by their parents with falling farming incomes and their perception of worthless commercial activity.
Too many at the top are expecting the masses to provide the financial support and at the same time feed them with new material. The whole affair is out of balance.
Because, I am, in a way trapped. I couldnt sell my kit for enough to finance a top line classic plough, and even if I could, it would be too physically demanding, the same, plus a bit applies to a trailed plough.
I totally disagree. The grass roots may die if they are not given a fair crack of the whip but I doubt it. Moving well beyond our time things will almost certainly change and we can all predict various outcomes but I am certain that World ploughing has a far more difficult future than historic activity and its attractions. Mr Elliot, I hope you are reading this but maybe that is beyond you . Being stuck in a time warp can sometimes work in your favour when the progressives hit the barrier.
M
For example, a young couple from Cornwall attended the Judges seminar at Bridgewater recently. The male half has an interest in tractors, but is an aircraft engineer, what his wife does, I dont know, but, he is looking to get a world style plough, as he sees the class as the pinnacle of ploughing competition.
most of the young farmers I see at matches are only interested in the bar,so trying to grab their interest is out. There are many people outside ploughing who do have an interest, even if its because its something different.
For example, a young couple from Cornwall attended the Judges seminar at Bridgewater recently. The male half has an interest in tractors, but is an aircraft engineer, what his wife does, I dont know, but, he is looking to get a world style plough, as he sees the class as the pinnacle of ploughing competition.
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@Howard150 is the Alan Jones you talk of the chap who used to work for Kverneland? If so, he seemed a decent enough chap when I knew him.
Probably was when he was in charge of the company.
Track record here would not stand scrutiny.
In 2015 he offered the members of the SOP 2 years to decide the direction of the SOP. Despite the minutes been written in the Hans Christian Andersen school of minute writing style, this is a fact.
After I made a formal complaint about the countback at Lichfield not matching the prize schedule, which affected the result, he wrote to me and told me they could not be held responsible for what was after all 'an error in the printing'.
You decide - but economy with the truth seems commonplace within the SOP. Regardless of whether or not he was carried on a tide from the establishment, the fact remains he should have been man enough to stand up and be counted. 5 men are struck off as directors because of his involvement.
I will answer as Howard is nursing a bad finger. Yes, the same Alan Jones, always friendly and polite but always aware of the main chance and able to be manipulated where it suited him. A great shame but then the SOP would have no reason to provide a front line job to an inquisitive and fractious old bugger like me. I hope this answers your question.
A good idea Harry but not when sporting a modern tractor and thousands of pounds worth of gizmos which never bore any relevance to anything rural.
I was sartin sure you had gorn back inter hiberneartion with them ole bishibarnabees.
All this chicken and egg stuff about world style incorporating vintage flies in the face of reality. When I was a boy national ploughing championships were all about Ransomes TS 54, 59 RSLDs, Motracs and a very few others. So much for handing out an olive branch a few years later when the elite needed popular support for their progressive and, as it turned out, unsustainable ideals
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Not your average farmworker or tractor mechanic then.
Exactly, and, like it or not, those are the only people showing interest. You can get them interested by calling the work a sculpture, which of course it is, emphasising the accuracy needed creates surprise and interest too. This is where the retired ploughman on the headland, explaining things would be useful, competitors may not have the time/be in the mood etc to chat. As you say, the captive audience of yesteryear has gone, in common with most things these days, pride in the job comes a bad second to speed in "doing" it, even if the lack of ploughing expertise results in several more passes to control the weed growth!
"Gismos" are nothing new, look at a high cut plough, even a horse one. In my case, all the hyds do, is power the original controls.
In my opinion that's how it should be, transport of kit paid for at the very least. That should apply regardless of class if you are representing your country at any international level.
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