Despite a previous night of horrendous gales and heavy rain, the Melplash Agricultural Society Ploughing match still went ahead with only two ploughmen not turning up on the day proving that even in wet weather ploughmen are still prepared and proud to demonstrate their skills!

The Society’s Ploughing Chairman, Tim Frampton thanked Mr Darren Cooper and Mr Kevin Groves for the use of their land, the stewards and volunteers who helped in very wet conditions to mark out the field, the judges and the ploughmen who competed.

He said “It was a very good day with a good competitive spirit.  48 ploughmen braved the weather, competing and demonstrating the traditional skills of ploughing over 60 years.  The vintage and classic classes enthusiastically keep the old-fashioned skills alive when settings and adjustments were done by hand, in contrast to the modern tractors with multi-furrow ploughs used by today’s farmers and contractors where everything is controlled by push buttons and screens”.

The prizes were presented by Society Chairman, Jo Sage.

2019 results

Judges

Vintage Ploughing:  Mr Roy Vickery, Beaminster and Mr Mike Pugh, Chard

Commercial Ploughing: Mr Les House and Mr Simon Mills

Class 8 – Vintage Trailed:

1st           Brian Johnston

2nd          Malcolm Trott

3rd           David Cobb

4th           Trevor Miles

Class 9 – Vintage Hydraulic

1st           Pete Symonds

2nd          Andy Westcott

3rd           Michael Symonds

4th           Dave Dennis

Class 10 – Match Ploughing

1st           Mark Symonds

Trophies & Special Prizes

Champion Vintage Ploughman and winner of The Jack Dare Memorial Trophy – Brian Johnston

Best Strike Out in Vintage & Match classes – Trevor Miles

Best Finish in Vintage & Match classes – Brian Johnston

Champion Ploughmen in Vintage & Match ploughing classes & winner of the Blandford & Webb Perpetual Challenge cup – Brian Johnston

Best Ins and Outs in Vintage & Match classes – Malcolm Trott

Class 11 – Classic Tractor & Plough (without Q cab)

1st           Tony Ascott and winner of the Tony Ascott Perpetual Challenge Cup

2nd          David Rae

3rd           Richard Hartnell

4th           Jim Mentern

Class 12 – Tractor & hydraulically operated 2 or 3 furrow plough

1st           Greg Smith

2nd          Michael Fooks

3rd           Ted Yarde

4th           Rick Cook

Class 13 – Tractor & hydraulically operated 4 or more plough

1st           Barry Dennett

2nd          John Shute

3rd           Will Doble

Class 14 – Contractor Challenge – reversible ploughs to use both left and right hand board

1st           David Fooks and winner of Creed Brother’s Seaborough Salver

2nd          B G Hayball

3rd           Will Case

Champion Ploughman – Tony Ascott

Reserve Champion Ploughman – Barry Dennett

Trophies & Special Prizes

Winner of The Streatfeild Perpetual Cup to Best YFC Ploughman – Michael Crabb

Winner of the Interclub Silver Perpetual Cup for highest placed YFC –  Marshwood Vale YFC – Calum Pagey, Amy Wonnacott & Will Case.

Champion Ploughman (Open) and winner of Col. Sir Stuart Mallinson cup – Tony Ascott

Reserve Champion Ploughman (Open) – Barry Dennett

Champion Ploughman (Local) and winner of silver perpetual Challenge Cup – Tony Ascott

Reserve Champion Ploughman (Local) – Barry Dennett

Best Ins & Outs – Michael Fooks

Best Strike out – Barry Dennett

Best Finish – David Rae

Best Ploughing with Case International Case or David Brown with Kverneland Plough presented with Silver Perpetual Challenge cup and a voucher donated by GCS Agricentre – Greg Smith

Best Ploughing with Ford New Holland presented a special prize donated by Francis Bugler- Barry Dennett

Best Ploughing with a John Deere Tractor presented with a special prize donated by Smarts Agriculture – Colin Stacey

Sam Dennett Perpetual Memorial Trophy presented by the family for the best finish with a four or five furrow plough – David Fooks.

Novice Ploughman

1st Richard Hartnell

2nd Darren Lang