A Yorkshire ploughing match will be held for the first time in 14 years thanks to a young farmers club

Charlotte Simpson is the current club secretary and is one of the planning group that has restored the ploughing match back to the YFC calendar. Charlotte said the reaction from everyone to the news has been very enthusiastic even if for some it has meant a huge learning curve.

“I suggested it because it seems like all the other clubs in the area have one and it was something that traditionally most young farmers clubs used to do. It has certainly given us another major event.

“Everyone is behind it and looking forward to it happening next Sunday and while we have had a little group of club members who have been the main working group, including myself, Kai Farrow, Will Dowsland, Richard Hicks and Tony Cousins we are now at the stage where more are now taking on roles all of the time and the whole club will be involved as we look to stage a really great day.

“We are in a great position as a club at the minute as we’ve come out of that lull that was imposed due to the Covid restrictions and we now have 55 members and everyone is keen to do things. We are a very junior heavy club at the moment. Even though I’m only 18 I’m one of the older members, but I really like helping the younger members.

“Our meetings are well attended whether to visit farms or agricultural businesses or games nights and public speaking events and that has really brought about a great social side and a fabulous atmosphere. This will be another fantastic social event. We are trying to push and bring back something that had got a bit lost over the years and then hopefully it will be back for years to come.

“A lot of us haven’t been to one before. There was an attempt to bring it back in 2013 but unfortunately that was cancelled which means there hasn’t been one since 2009.

Charlotte won’t be taking part in the ploughing herself but she and the team are doing all they can to encourage participation through the number of classes they will be holding and there has been a bit of digging around with regard to where trophies that might have previously been awarded at the ploughing match had got to.

“We already understand that the bigger percentage of entries at ploughing matches don’t come from young farmer entries. Ploughing matches are known for embracing all ages and they attract seasoned competitors in the ploughing world as well as enthusiasts who simply enjoy ploughing and the young farmers themselves.

“Our classes will include match ploughing, vintage mounted, vintage trailed, classic, Fergie, conventional match and young farmers classes.

“We have managed to track down a trophy from Kirkbymoorside YFC’s previous matches that is for the first-placed YFC member from the Ryedale district and so it would be good to have a strong turnout for that from all clubs in the district.

“We have attracted judges from all over Yorkshire. It’s quite a judging group with four local people who are past members and four from further afield. We understand some of them are quite well known in the ploughing match world.

Charlotte said that she’s hoping the preparation the club has undertaken, including signage for where it is taking place, will attract a decent number of spectators as well as ploughmen and women and may even increase the club membership further.

“It has easy access for car parking and we will have a few other things going on for the spectators. It would be good if we had local people from in and around Kirkbymoorside coming to see what’s going on and that way we might even increase the club membership further.

“Our club has members from farming backgrounds and those not on farms. My parents were Kirkbymoorside YFC members. I have family who farm – my uncle John Simpson in Fadmoor and my grandfather Trevor Dent in Rosedale - but there are a lot that haven’t any farm background at all and we have friends who have joined and are keen to learn about farming and getting involved.

“I’m not a ploughwoman but I do compete in stockjudging and represented Yorkshire U21 in the national finals of the Beef Live & Carcase class in autumn 2022, but Young Farmers isn’t just the competitions, it has also built me a good social life. I’ve met lots of people from lots of different backgrounds.

Rachel Wood is club president and was secretary in the early 2000s. Rachel is from a farming family, farms with her husband at Cropton and remembers the ploughing matches.

“My brother Robert (Scaling) took part. I know a lot of the past YFC members have been talking about giving it a go again. We always had a really good turnout.

Maisie Bulmer, also a farmer’s daughter, from Salton is the current club chairwoman and said she is looking forward to the return of the ploughing match.

“It’s great we are bringing back a tradition that we used to have every year. My brother-in-law says my nephew is keen to have a go, but he’s only 7 years old!

“This has been a real learning experience for me. A real eye opener. I walked into a meeting knowing nothing and walked out knowing a lot more than I originally knew. It’s going to be great.