Ploughing on in pursuit of success

Yorkshire is a hotbed of ploughing talent, with the Witty family, of Hunmanby, including father Graeme and sons Simon and James. Then there's John Hill, of Hoylandswaine. All have won British, European and World titles in their respective disciplines.

Another of the sport's leading lights is Mick Watkins. He farms with his two brothers, Ivor and Richard, at Stainton, near Rotherham, where they also operate a successful agricultural contracting business.

Mick is the current holder of the British and Welsh national ploughing championship titles in the vintage section.

"I started entering ploughing matches in my early teens and my father ploughed for England in Sweden back in 1955,"

says Mick.

"I left it alone for a lot of years before coming back to it in 1997 in the trailer plough section of the vintage class. We are getting a lot more people coming to take part now from all sorts of occupations. In recent times, we've had a power station manager, two men who run a garage, a tyre-fitter and a petrol tanker driver all coming along. None of them were from a farming background."

All you need is a tractor, a plough and the means to get them both to a match. You could also do with a bit of advice, and Mick explains that the main source is from the camaraderie that exists in the 'ploughing travelling circus'. This comprises the real enthusiasts who drive several thousands of miles each year to compete.

"The tractors themselves are very easy to buy. I use a grey and gold Ferguson 35 that was manufactured in 1957. You can go to any York farm machinery sale (at York Livestock Centre) and there will always be two or three there every time. You can usually get hold of a really tidy one for around 2,000, but you can get one for 1000-1,200, take it home and tidy it up, and you should be able to manage quite nicely."

The ploughs themselves are a little harder to come by. "Trailer ploughs can be worth a little bit more, especially if you're buying one that has previously done well in competitions. For instance, if I was to sell my Ransome RSLD 2 furrow plough, I would be looking for a bit more for it because of the prizes it has won. A general rule of thumb for those that haven't won is around 1,200."

Remember that you will also need a 4x4 to haul a flat-bed trailer on which the tractor and plough will be loaded, plus the fuel to and from each match.

"We always try our best to look after those who are coming in to the sport; usually those who come in do stay.

"Those who start in the vintage ploughing sections tend to be older rather than younger. If they are prepared to listen to advice, we will go to the ends of the earth to spend time with them and show them what to do. We have produced a video, through the national body, the Society of Ploughmen, called Vintage Ploughing Techniques. We also host training days showing people how to set up their plough initially. There is always a lot of interest in days like these."

The irony is that Mick has never ploughed all that much as a job. He reckons that commercial ploughing is becoming less popular, particularly in the autumn. The cost of fuel has had a lot to do with farms ceasing ploughing and switching to a cultivator press which allows for all aspects of cultivation to be accomplished in one pass. The exception is with spring-sown crops where nearly everyone continues

to plough in order to provide a clean and disease-free

seed bed.

Mick enters 35-40 ploughing matches a year.

"I enjoy the social side of what we do, but, personally, when it comes down to competition, I never plough for second place. Ploughing is all about concentration, experience and paying attention to detail. I want every furrow to be gun-barrel straight."

That competitive ethos has brought Mick seven Welsh Ploughing Championship victories in the past eight years and four British titles. He has won a European title, too, and will once again be competing for England in the European Championships to be held in Scotland later this year.

His good friend and ploughing colleague, John Mines, of Penistone, has eclipsed Mick's record having won four European titles in succession.

Mick adds, "There are a lot of competitors who have never won a title but who still keep coming and they are just as important to us. There are quite a few that will go to nearly every ploughing match, so we all see a lot of each other, but there are some who will stick to their own local area because of the cost of getting around.

"Yorkshire is a good county to plough in because of the variations of land, the different contours of the fields and different people to plough against. I enjoy their company as much as anything."

Mick's home match is next Sunday, at Sandbeck Lodge where he is a farm contractor for the Earl of Scarborough's land. This is the Three Counties Federation Ploughing Match and it includes the National Vintage Area Final for South and West Yorkshire. Spectators are always welcome.

"Come along and talk to us," says Mick. "We are always keen to welcome new enthusiasts and competitors."