Sop rules

[arcobob]

The SOP seems to be doing better than the alternative, and around here at least, the feeling is," Its not perfect, but it is improving"
People will not give up ploughing in droves, were that the overall feeling it would have happened, and the society still has a healthy membership while membership bestows little of value to members. Were it to offer a few things, such as accredited judges and stewards being required to officiate at affiliated society matches so levelling the playing field somewhat, I feel membership would increase.If it gained the position of overall control and wielded the big stick in the form of a nationwide ban for some persistent and or violent miscreants membership would soar.

We have one affiliated club in Norfolk and no more that three ploughing members of the SOP . I would guess that Cambs may have one or two more and Suffolk perhaps less. The numbers have fallen dramatically and there are no world style competitions in Norfolk. Last weekend`s match attracted 31 competitors and I would lay good money that not one of them will ever have any ambition to plough in the Nationals in future. The Norfolk Ploughing Society offered to put on a coach to the Nationals this year to try to kindle some interest. They had one taker.
You obviously see a different picture your way but I can tell you that it is not as widespread as you might think.
Waving a big stick and alienating non members will have the opposite effect. The SOP has a mammoth task to undo the wrongs of the past few years and only a major management shift will allow this to happen.

 

[rick_vandal]

I would like to find 200 acres of flat friable, weed-free ground on a clear, dry autumn day and mark it out accurately, arrange loos and burgers, invite all and sundry to make a scrape with whatever they can afford or invent. Arm the stewards to shoot any gardeners and get the ploughmen to judge as a mass jury. No cups, maybe some cash and other paper. Then we would plough the vacant plots and the headlands as a climax.

 

[arcobob]

I would like to find 200 acres of flat friable, weed-free ground on a clear, dry autumn day and mark it out accurately, arrange loos and burgers, invite all and sundry to make a scrape with whatever they can afford or invent. Arm the stewards to shoot any gardeners and get the ploughmen to judge as a mass jury. No cups, maybe some cash and other paper. Then we would plough the vacant plots and the headlands as a climax.

Are you taking something stronger than I am Mr Tambourine man?

 

[Ley253]

We have one affiliated club in Norfolk and no more that three ploughing members of the SOP . I would guess that Cambs may have one or two more and Suffolk perhaps less. The numbers have fallen dramatically and there are no world style competitions in Norfolk. Last weekend`s match attracted 31 competitors and I would lay good money that not one of them will ever have any ambition to plough in the Nationals in future. The Norfolk Ploughing Society offered to put on a coach to the Nationals this year to try to kindle some interest. They had one taker.
You obviously see a different picture your way but I can tell you that it is not as widespread as you might think.
Waving a big stick and alienating non members will have the opposite effect. The SOP has a mammoth task to undo the wrongs of the past few years and only a major management shift will allow this to happen.

World style is falling off even in Hereford, sop membership, however is not. Strangely enough the class with the most young ploughmen in is High Cut, and those ploughs are much more expensive than world style, and much harder to use!
Waving a big stick, in defence of decent people, who are only trying to do the job asked of them(for which there is no reward), will increase support not leach it, other than in the ranks of the serial cheats and those who favour violence as a method of discussion. At the moment, there is nothing to deter this type of competitor, individual societies wont ban them, the cry of "If we dock them points, they wont come next year", is the get out used. My answer is GOOD! Yeovil society has done nothing about two serial offenders, the result is that they are two competitors short in the class this year, and may well lose more in the future. banning the two, would have sent a better message and perhaps encouraged the more honest to enter. if not this, then next year.
31 competitors? Bridgwater had 123.

 

[arcobob]

World style is falling off even in Hereford, sop membership, however is not. Strangely enough the class with the most young ploughmen in is High Cut, and those ploughs are much more expensive than world style, and much harder to use!
Waving a big stick, in defence of decent people, who are only trying to do the job asked of them(for which there is no reward), will increase support not leach it, other than in the ranks of the serial cheats and those who favour violence as a method of discussion. At the moment, there is nothing to deter this type of competitor, individual societies wont ban them, the cry of "If we dock them points, they wont come next year", is the get out used. My answer is GOOD! Yeovil society has done nothing about two serial offenders, the result is that they are two competitors short in the class this year, and may well lose more in the future. banning the two, would have sent a better message and perhaps encouraged the more honest to enter. if not this, then next year. .

Organisers who don`t jump on the cheats should be punished. It is not a big problem in the east, unless they have spent time further north that is.

 

[Ley253]

Nothing is done here. Last year, at the match I mentioned Five stewards, the society Chairman and myself watched two build their crowns by hand, one using the plot marker to assist, the other the headland mark to supply packing for a low furrow.Not one of these "stewards" did anything at all, and the two took two prizes. Can you now see why I would like a governing body to put a stop to this, and also to remove the local mans advantage which is worth a few extra points!( usually awarded for the split), as by the time complaints would surface, thats buried and cant be checked!

 

[Ley253]

Organisers who don`t jump on the cheats should be punished. It is not a big problem in the east, unless they have spent time further north that is.

Who is going to do that?

 

[arcobob]

Who is going to do that?

The good men walk away and never go back.

 

[Ley253]

The good men walk away and never go back.

At the moment your quite right and they are walking into retirement. Its not a way forward.If there was a governing body, with teeth, it would be the others, and the entry fee grabbing, rule ignoring societies who continue to accept their entries which would be leaving. Numbers may drop in the short term, but if such a system could be made a success, numbers would rise again.

 

[Ray996]

A thread in the match ploughing section being hijacked..............that never happens

start new thread with title gardeners world!with pics of gardening and how to cheat

 

[Mydexta]

That answers that then

 

[Howard150]

That answers that thenView attachment 721326

This is where it all falls down around the ambiguity of it. It says nothing whatsoever in the rules about the number of adjustments allowed. All it refers to is two piece tailpieces.

However.....legal 2 piece tailpieces adjust in 3 planes whilst yours adjust in 5.

 

[Ray996]

What are the main rules that most stewards should be looking out for?some i have seen don't seem to have a clue what there on the field for!

was at a match today and it was gardeners world at one point!any one ever seen a strimmer used after start of ploughing has commenced?or burning straw?

 

[rick_vandal]

was at a match today and it was gardeners world at one point!any one ever seen a strimmer used after start of ploughing has commenced?or burning straw?

In days gone, the headland marker was turned out to give the plough something soft to fall on, it has now become a forking nuisance to some. Is unfortunate that the Dutch hoe is perfect for clearing stuck boards yet scouring is your own problem. Your Host knows his land better than you and when to leave the plough in the shed. Unless faced with a broken bale then burning is excessive force when you already have an open trench for trash. BTW a tractor mounted blowtorch is not a soil engaging device! Strimmers are a pee-take.

 

[Howard150]

In days gone, the headland marker was turned out to give the plough something soft to fall on, it has now become a forking nuisance to some. Is unfortunate that the Dutch hoe is perfect for clearing stuck boards yet scouring is your own problem. Your Host knows his land better than you and when to leave the plough in the shed. Unless faced with a broken bale then burning is excessive force when you already have an open trench for trash. BTW a tractor mounted blowtorch is not a soil engaging device! Strimmers are a pee-take.

You don’t have an open trench at the time you can remove straw. It can only be removed up until ploughing commences.

 

[Ley253]

You don’t have an open trench at the time you can remove straw. It can only be removed up until ploughing commences.

Ah, but if you put the straw in the open furrow, you are repositioning it, not removing! (Tin hat and
Hazchem suit donned)

 

[Howard150]

Ah, but if you put the straw in the open furrow, you are repositioning it, not removing! (Tin hat and
Hazchem suit donned)

Ambiguity rules OK. The spirit behind it is that you are not allowed to move either loose straw or stubble once ploughing has commenced.

 

[Tonym]

I never remove straw from the plot. I scrape it back to make a start then as Harry says put it in the open furrow as you go. Much easier at my time of life.
Ploughing ground is hard enough to get as it is without leaving piles of wet straw on the headlands for the host farmer to deal with.
When faced with this mess plus the unavoidable cops and reans it is no wonder land is hard to find.

 

[Tonym]

The rule book does not say you cannot clear your plot after starting ploughing. It states - Only the competitor is allowed to clean the plot of straw,stones, etc. Clearing of stubble is not allowed and will be penalised.
No mention of when you are allowed to do it.

 

[Howard150]

The rule book does not say you cannot clear your plot after starting ploughing. It states - Only the competitor is allowed to clean the plot of straw,stones, etc. Clearing of stubble is not allowed and will be penalised.
No mention of when you are allowed to do it.

Point taken Tony. Been ploughing a lot longer than you and it was always taken as read that you were not allowed to clear straw once ploughing had commenced, even as late as 2007.
The new Scottish rulebook says only the competitor is allowed to clear the plot of straw and stones. There is no qualifying time period.
Again in the rules for Southern Ireland straw or loose objects may be removed but the raking of stubble is not permitted. Working on a plot before the competition commences by either the competitor or someone working on his behalf will result in the competitor being eliminated from the completion.