The future for match ploughing

[arcobob]

As someone who has lived my alloted span, still active with a passion for good ploughing, I fear for the future of our pastime. When I was in my 20s to 40s I was too busy to get involved. At last in my 60s nostalgia set in and I yearned to excel in the skills that were held precious when I was a boy so I took up vintage match ploughing with a determination to succeed to a high standard. Sadly the skill has gone out of modern farming practice and there is no reason to be nostalgic about current standards in forty years time or is there? How do we progress from here?

 

[Roy Stokes]

The horse ploughmen were most probably saying exactly the same during the 1950's and 60's Bob

 

[Mydexta]

Up here, the biggest class is now the multi furrow reversible. Lads that work on farms can bring their works tractor and have a go. The vintahe classes will slowly die off I think.
I'm 33 and there is very few folk of my age taking part in the vintage classes. Most folk seem
To be 50+

Perhaps the cost puts the young ones off. Tractor and plough is bad enough, but then there is a 4x4 and trailer to run as well and it soon adds up

 

[Ley253]

One way to cut the cost is to buy a 1980s 7.5 ton truck. NFU insurance is around £70.00 per year, fully comp,but with a milage limit. Its their vintage lorry policy. Tax is the same as a car. No speed limiter required, and my MAN does 18 mpg, loaded and towing the caravan.
The thing which will kill ploughing is the uncontrolled cheating. This is also known as gardening, handwork etc. Newcomers who have done a good job will not return when they see the cheats picking up the prizes.We all know who these people are, and so do match organisers, these need to refuse entries to the cheats, it may cut the numbers down at first, but when their match gets a reputation for being straight, they will have more than they can find plots for!
Another area which needs attention is the knowlage of people chosen to judge several times last year I was at matches where the plots were not walked! When I asked one judge why he had not walked the work, he replied that he could see all he needed to from the headland, he walked off when I asked him how firmnes was seen!

 

[Fergie Ploughman]

I think the vintage and classic classes just get stronger and stronger, the quality of ploughing in these classes gets better each year, the problem now is finding judges good enough to judge it. Some counties just think you can drag the local tweed wearing gentry farmer to come and scribble a few marks down and if you moan people say, well it's only a hobby isn't it? When you add up the cost of entering, fuel, cost of the kit and the fact you've worked hard to do a good job, it really winds me up when you get incompetent judges who haven't ploughed for donkeys years.

The big modern multi furrow classes are a waste of time, the young lads turn up with big F O tractors, do three runs and it's all over. If it wasn't for the vintage and classis guys I think the British Nationals would have died years ago. The European and world style classes, although I think they're great are just beyond most people, you can't drag the kit around behind a 4x4 or 7.5 tonnes, so it gets expensive, that's if you can afford the ploughs in the first place......and you need a posh smart plough to compete against the usual crew who do the circuits.

The classes I think that will excel in the future are the specific tractor and plough classes and one of the best examples of this is the Ferguson class, allows a total level playing field with cheap easily transportable kit. More of these classes are appearing, they're a great idea. I often wonder why small classic reversible has never taken off, maybe it's the weight thing again, it's stops you pulling it behind a 4x4. I think it the vintage/classic that's here to stay and the modern stuff that will die off...

Re. gardening, it's simple.....ban it at all matches. Trouble is they won't, some matches it's not tolerated, but they're very few and far between. Personally I have no issue tucking a bit of stubble in, if left it spoils a job. But when people walk up and down their cop fettling it all the way it's taking the pee. Trouble is, if your competing against them, do you whine or join them ? If you're used to ploughing at the Nationals you cannot do any gardening, which means you have to get used to ploughing without doing it. I really don't understand why it is tolerated so much....the stewards are never bothered and almost laugh at you if you comment on somebody doing it...

 

[chaffcutter]

What you don't do @Fergie Ploughman is join them! There is no skill if the wrk is not as it left the plough. Complain, tell the Stewards, tell the judges, get points deducted or cheats eliminated. It's all in the hands of the match organisers, if competitors stay away because they won't make a stand against the cheats then they deserve to die out. Our local match is well known to police this and I know this is appreciated by our regular competitors.

 

[Fergie Ploughman]

You must plough at Lichfield? One of the very few matches that doesnt tolerated it....

 

[chaffcutter]

Got it in one!

 

[Donkey Oaty]

Surely one of the solutions is to give the multi furrow ploughs a bigger rig? Just keeping up with the times and the size of their machinery.

 

[Fergie Ploughman]

Seems obvious, but you start to run out of space to hold the matches...

 

[Ley253]

I think the vintage and classic classes just get stronger and stronger, the quality of ploughing in these classes gets better each year, the problem now is finding judges good enough to judge it. Some counties just think you can drag the local tweed wearing gentry farmer to come and scribble a few marks down and if you moan people say, well it's only a hobby isn't it? When you add up the cost of entering, fuel, cost of the kit and the fact you've worked hard to do a good job, it really winds me up when you get incompetent judges who haven't ploughed for donkeys years.

The big modern multi furrow classes are a waste of time, the young lads turn up with big F O tractors, do three runs and it's all over. If it wasn't for the vintage and classis guys I think the British Nationals would have died years ago. The European and world style classes, although I think they're great are just beyond most people, you can't drag the kit around behind a 4x4 or 7.5 tonnes, so it gets expensive, that's if you can afford the ploughs in the first place......and you need a posh smart plough to compete against the usual crew who do the circuits.

The classes I think that will excel in the future are the specific tractor and plough classes and one of the best examples of this is the Ferguson class, allows a total level playing field with cheap easily transportable kit. More of these classes are appearing, they're a great idea. I often wonder why small classic reversible has never taken off, maybe it's the weight thing again, it's stops you pulling it behind a 4x4. I think it the vintage/classic that's here to stay and the modern stuff that will die off...

Re. gardening, it's simple.....ban it at all matches. Trouble is they won't, some matches it's not tolerated, but they're very few and far between. Personally I have no issue tucking a bit of stubble in, if left it spoils a job. But when people walk up and down their cop fettling it all the way it's taking the pee. Trouble is, if your competing against them, do you whine or join them ? If you're used to ploughing at the Nationals you cannot do any gardening, which means you have to get used to ploughing without doing it. I really don't understand why it is tolerated so much....the stewards are never bothered and almost laugh at you if you comment on somebody doing it...

Well I can agree with most of what your saying but not all. Ploughing matches are a competion, and spectators pay to see the best work, therefore competitors should bring the best kit, classes should not be "dumbed down" No specific tractor classes, its the ploughing that is judged, and because a certain make is better than another, the poorer should not have its own class. If its not good enough, then it improves till it is, or resides in the nettles. Cheap "starter" classes are a no no. Newcomers have one pile of money( usually small) they must buy the best plough they can with potential to be improved far enough so that remains competitive for many years. This for example the Fergie class does not do, buy one of those and your locked into that class, or you buy another plough to move up World style ploughs need not cost the earth, but are indeed much more complicated, however many of the mods can and often are home made, and you can carry a world style plough on a 7.5 ton truck, providing your not using a massive fwd tractor.
Gardening can be stopped, and its ploughmen who can stop it. I invested £30 in a camera and printer. I photographed the gardener, printed the photos and gave them to the event sec. There was a lot of wriggling as he plainly didnt want to do anything, but under the rules he had no choice as it was a protest, with cast iron evidence.

 

[Fergie Ploughman]

Do you not think the popularity of the Ferguson class speaks for itself ? It's extremely well attended and there is a push to have std ploughs with no mods, I think it's a fine idea (not that I want to do it though!)

 

[Ley253]

The Ferguson class is a dead end, populated by those with no ambition to be good ploughmen, who just want to drive their tractor about for a few hours! This is evident by the poor standard of work, which shows no improvement from year to year. There are one or two ploughmen in that class who do a very good job, Keith Williams for one, but he can plough with anything! But by and large, the work is poor and I know that it has cost a site at least once, due to the heaps passing for starts, and the tank traps for finishes seen by one landowner, who remarked to his friend," well after seeing that, they wont be coming to my place" .Clearing out these "Micky Mouse " classes would push the ambitious men onward, raise the standard of work seen and cut down the number of judges, prizes and stewards required, and of course the size of the site would be reduced. Having said that, I dont believe it will happen, organisers are too attached to the entry fee, if they were not, they would refuse entries from the serial cheats(gardeners), who are well known. That would be a real step in the right direction.
Classes should be something like this, High cut, world style, open hyd vintage mounted, vintage trailed.

 

[multi power]

Dare I ask but how easy n realistic is it for a beginner to get started match ploughing?

 

[Fergie Ploughman]

I can understand where you're coming from but we have to be careful. Matches need to be kept alive, they need entries to do this. You also need to attract young people, cheap simple ploughs are a good way of doing it. I learnt with a fergie and graduated onto something better. I would never go back, but I do like the idea. Must admit, it is spoiled by some total and utter messes that some people make, but everyone has to start somewhere. There are an increasing handful of real good fergie plough ers now; gwynfor parry, Andy drinkwater, John kitchen, etc.

To me the finished job is important, and for that you do need a good plough. I do love trailer ploughs, but can't be doing with all the faffing of not simply pulling a lever to lift the thing up. My uncle ploughed high cut for many years, superb to watch, he still does a couple of matches a year, at least one is always against John Milnes at the Brailsford match. It was going with him when I was a kid that got me into match ploughing. It's the skill and artistic nature of the job I like....looks great when it's done right. Trouble is with high cut, the are hardly any matches around and sadly it's just dying off...

 

[Ley253]

Indeed you can. First of all go to several matches, study the work and decide the class you want to compete in. If you have a tractor, check is suitable for that class. Go out and buy the best plough you can afford which is accepted in your chosen class. Next find a retired match ploughman and bribe, force, whatever is required, to encourage him to teach you all he knows, and write it down. Take video of your plough at work, you can sit and study it at home and you will notice things that need attention, you would otherwise have missed.
I will be at Carmarthen on Easter Mon come and have a chat if you like.

 

[Ley253]

I can understand where you're coming from but we have to be careful. Matches need to be kept alive, they need entries to do this. You also need to attract young people, cheap simple ploughs are a good way of doing it. I learnt with a fergie and graduated onto something better. I would never go back, but I do like the idea. Must admit, it is spoiled by some total and utter messes that some people make, but everyone has to start somewhere. There are an increasing handful of real good fergie plough ers now; gwynfor parry, Andy drinkwater, John kitchen, etc.

To me the finished job is important, and for that you do need a good plough. I do love trailer ploughs, but can't be doing with all the faffing of not simply pulling a lever to lift the thing up. My uncle ploughed high cut for many years, superb to watch, he still does a couple of matches a year, at least one is always against John Milnes at the Brailsford match. It was going with him when I was a kid that got me into match ploughing. It's the skill and artistic nature of the job I like....looks great when it's done right. Trouble is with high cut, the are hardly any matches around and sadly it's just dying off...

There are plenty of high cut matches around here, just come south!
In theory, cheap, simple ploughs are a good way to start but thats not quite right, for example, match work demands a land wheel, so whats the use of starting with a plough that doesnt have one? A keen novice will soon out grow his cheapy, and need something better, but unless he can sell the cheapy, its money tied up that he cant use to improve his kit. Much better to buy the better one to start with, if nothing else he would get his money back on that if he gave up.
I too prefer trailer ploughs, but am too old etc to be heaving one about these days.
Going back to novices, I would like to see the main match start earlier, and the novice class much later. That would allow ploughmen to come and coach the novices when they have finished their plots.

 

[multi power]

i too was planning on going to carmarthen on easter monday, so whats wrong with ploughing with a fergie plough? i have a massey 65 n a choice of fergie ploughs

 

[Fergie Ploughman]

Yes, prime country for high cut, the South west!

 

[Ley253]

in a word draft control! its a work dodger, the plough will jump up in hard spots, and dive in soft. Bodies are not good enough for match work really. While i plough world style, I must say my liking is for whole work, so I like a well defined firm furrow with a good crest for soil made available, and tightly pressed to its nieghbor to make a good seedbed the short abrupt commercial bodies dont do that.