Ploughing Photo's

[Sprayer]

Incidentally, on the subject of judging/stewarding , what is the general opinion about the time spent by these officials actually doing their job ? Some spend the majority of their time doing the job, others make about three brief appearances and are not to be seen for 75% of the time.

I think a good judge should be around all of the time until the starts are completed, and he ought to be moving quite quickly looking at the job being done before the gardening starts. That way he has an insight into the competitors’ true ability as a ploughman rather than a landscape artist and he can judge what he sees when completed with confidence.

 

[arcobob]

I think a good judge should be around all of the time until the starts are completed, and he ought to be moving quite quickly looking at the job being done before the gardening starts. That way he has an insight into the competitors’ true ability as a ploughman rather than a landscape artist and he can judge what he sees when completed with confidence.

I heartily agree. I asked a judge at a recent match if he had spotted one or two offenders treading on crowns and he admitted that he hadn`t been about for much of relevant time. He said that if he didn`t see it there was not much he could do. He attends all the seminars and considers himself to be a good judge. I also watched a judge for quite some time at a recent match closely scrutinising the first run towards my neighbour`s side. It showed a very narrow front furrow. I asked a local ploughman, who obviously knew this judge, why he would be showing such an interest. His reply was instantaneous, NBG.

 

[Ley253]

They will be the world stewards. They come from the same litter as those that insist that the world match is turned into a ploughing race, I presume to ensure that there is plenty of time left for the sponsors exhibits to be viewed!
In the event you mention all the ploughmen should have upped pegs and left, that ruling was so stupid it defies belief! I had similar when at Surrey county years ago, I was warned that i was not at the correct depth.I was on run two of my crown! Drawing the stewards attention to the rules in the match paperwork put that to bed!

 

[Ley253]

I think a good judge should be around all of the time until the starts are completed, and he ought to be moving quite quickly looking at the job being done before the gardening starts. That way he has an insight into the competitors’ true ability as a ploughman rather than a landscape artist and he can judge what he sees when completed with confidence.

Judges judge the work, stewards apply the rules and penalties.Or at least should do. If this does not happen you have a situation where the judge is judge, juror and executioner, not good when ,for example, the organising society may have rules of its own, which an outside judge may not be aware of. The requirement of a four round start in some areas is a good example of this.
What would be good would be the judges judging the splits from the middle, rather than a quick trip up the headland! To judge them properly, you need to walk the middle and both ends.

 

[Sprayer]

Judges judge the work, stewards apply the rules and penalties.

The problem is where do you recruit enough stewards who actually know the rules and what they are looking for. All these people are volunteers and will not put up with the abuse they get when only pointing out the errors of some ploughmen’s habits. Heaven forbid if they actually marked a point deduction on the score sheet. So perhaps better if the judge does it quietly whilst awarding his points on what he has seen.
Perhaps the card system has a lot of merit.

 

[arcobob]

Judges judge the work, stewards apply the rules and penalties.Or at least should do. If this does not happen you have a situation where the judge is judge, juror and executioner, not good when ,for example, the organising society may have rules of its own, which an outside judge may not be aware of. The requirement of a four round start in some areas is a good example of this.
What would be good would be the judges judging the splits from the middle, rather than a quick trip up the headland! To judge them properly, you need to walk the middle and both ends.

I agree with Richard because it is very difficult to get sufficient officials with suitable knowledge, especially at high season. The Judges can take care of the situation if they are of a mind to. Most stewards are pulled out of the hedgerow and know as much about ploughing as the man in the moon.

 

[Ley253]

The problem is where do you recruit enough stewards who actually know the rules and what they are looking for. All these people are volunteers and will not put up with the abuse they get when only pointing out the errors of some ploughmen’s habits. Heaven forbid if they actually marked a point deduction on the score sheet. So perhaps better if the judge does it quietly whilst awarding his points on what he has seen.
Perhaps the card system has a lot of merit.

There is no shortage of officials, most societies have a large committee, members of which should be out on the field during the match.No steward should get abuse, he only adds his penalty points at the end, so will have no contact with ploughmen. Unless of course the stupid "one warning" system coupled with a high viz jacket is in use, that makes the steward a target and, it is not needed as the warning can be in the plot number paperwork.Stewards need to know the rules, and how they are implemented, they dont need to be ploughmen. Surrey county seems to use a fair few students for the job, by and large they did do a reasonable job, though nothing is ever perfect.

 

[Sprayer]

There is no shortage of officials, most societies have a large committee,

Yes they do have large committees but like all committees most of them only pontificate and do not appear on work parties or help on match days, they attend with their members badges, thumb sticks and new shooting coats and spend most of the day in the members bar.

coupled with a high viz jacket is in use, that makes the steward a target and, it is not needed as the warning can be in the plot number paperwork.

Perhaps making them high viz helps alleviate the problem in the first place.

Surrey county seems to use a fair few students for the job, by and large they did do a reasonable job, though nothing is ever perfect.

Wish we could get the younger generation interested, but there again the last four words of your quote probably say it all. I can imagine your response having been told you have lost 20 points on the whim of an over zealous 18 year old because you had moved a dock leaf or maize stalk.

 

[arcobob]

Judges judge the work,

Judges judge work produced with a plough, not hand, foot, fork, sighting pole , spanner or any other implement. If the work is not as the plough produced it the judge should act accordingly. He may not be popular with the culprit but he will be with the honest ploughmen.

 

[Ley253]

Yes they do have large committees but like all committees most of them only pontificate and do not appear on work parties or help on match days, they attend with their members badges, thumb sticks and new shooting coats and spend most of the day in the members bar.


Perhaps making them high viz helps alleviate the problem in the first place.


Wish we could get the younger generation interested, but there again the last four words of your quote probably say it all. I can imagine your response having been told you have lost 20 points on the whim of an over zealous 18 year old because you had moved a dock leaf or maize stalk.

You would think the high viz would do that, but, in the end its counter productive, if you can see which way the steward is looking, and how far away he is, you can work out that he cant see what your up to behind your tractor. We need "stealth" stewards!

 

[Mydexta]

Can someone please enlighten me why almost every thread in the match ploughing section always turns round to some kind debate about judges and rules??????

This thread is for people to post pictures and receive comments on work they have done, not about stewards, judges, etc

 

[Ley253]

Judges judge work produced with a plough, not hand, foot, fork, sighting pole , spanner or any other implement. If the work is not as the plough produced it the judge should act accordingly. He may not be popular with the culprit but he will be with the honest ploughmen.

In a perfect world, it would be easy to see if the plough had not done the work, but in the real one? Not really, boot and hand marks tend to vanish when the work dries out, and if they dont, the judge has to be in the right place to see them. ( and that means" On the work", not headland) Furrows packed up from underneath look ok when the next pair are laid against them. Was that kink caused by the stone standing beside it, or was the driver at fault, but carrying a stone just in case?

 

[Ley253]

Can someone please enlighten me why almost every thread in the match ploughing section always turns round to some kind debate about judges and rules??????

This thread is for people to post pictures and receive comments on work they have done, not about stewards, judges, etc

You are of course quite correct.

 

[arcobob]

You are of course quite correct.

Agreed.My fault again.

 

[spindle]

A farmer near by had a corner of a field for me to try a grassland opening.

Step 1 Cut the rear shear down to 8" wide, cut out one furrow and push the furrow 12" over the grass.
Step 2 Widen the plough width out to 16" then with a specially adapted front shear gaining another 4" width turn round and complete the split.
Step 3 For a third attempt at this the key is shallowness.

Would welcome any comments on this.

View attachment 321210 View attachment 321214 View attachment 321216 View attachment 321218 View attachment 321222 View attachment 321224 View attachment 321228

great pictures and ideas Tafe, can you explain a bit more on the modified shear ?

 

[willcam98]

Do you find the 25s make as good a job in grass as supers or ycn special??

 

[Tafe Tractorman]

Do you find the 25s make as good a job in grass as supers or ycn special??

I have only ever used No 25 boards so i cannot comment on your question , before i had this Plough i had a Fiskars but even when i widened it out to 13 inches width it did not like too much depth but i have always noticed the No 25 boards can deal with the depth of Ploughing a lot better

 

[Tafe Tractorman]

great pictures and ideas Tafe, can you explain a bit more on the modified shear ?

The front shear is cut down to 8 inches wide with a combine cutter bar section welded on the side which needs to be kept sharp with a angle grinder, the piece of flat plate on the point side is to use as a guide on the edge of the grass a bit like a front disc when finishing off on the final run. It does need to be a little bit deeper just to be able to see it guide the edge of the grass in, as you can see I have cut another shear down and mounted it on that, won't matter if it is mounted forward a bit as not using the disc and don't give it too much lead as it works in a flat position just enough to rip the front out and complete the split.

 

[spindle]

The front shear is cut down to 8 inches wide with a combine cutter bar section welded on the side which needs to be kept sharp with a angle grinder, the piece of flat plate on the point side is to use as a guide on the edge of the grass a bit like a front disc when finishing off on the final run. It does need to be a little bit deeper just to be able to see it guide the edge of the grass in, as you can see I have cut another shear down and mounted it on that, won't matter if it is mounted forward a bit as not using the disc and don't give it too much lead as it works in a flat position just enough to rip the front out and complete the split.View attachment 324684 View attachment 324686 View attachment 324688 View attachment 324690

Thank you for the pictures Tafe I have a lot to learn about this grassland work, never had the opportunity to plough grass land, openings look a hole different ball game to stuble

 

[massey765]

good day at tern valley yesterday

roy have you finished your ploughing instructions on your web site yet