Visit MJ Abbott at the British National Ploughing Championships

More than 200 top ploughmen from all over Britain will compete this autumn in the 2014 British National Ploughing Championships at Wootton St Lawrence, Hampshire, by kind permission of GB Foot Ltd, EC Drummond & Son and Manydown Co.

Two busy days - Saturday and Sunday, October 11th and 12th - will be packed with competitions for many types of plough and styles of ploughing, and will climax when the two top ploughmen are selected to represent England at the 2015 World Ploughing Contest in Denmark next year.

The site covers 200 acres and has excellent facilities for competitors and public, with easy access by road and plenty of car parking space. Main sponsors of the Championships are Goodyear and Firestone, and upwards of 15,000 spectators are expected, spread over the two days of the Championships.

The Championships are returning to Hampshire for the first time in 31 years, and have attracted considerable interest in the immediate area and surrounding counties.

Visitors will see not only the highly skilled competition ploughing and an extensive trade stand area, but also attractions such as vintage tractors, ploughs and equipment; steam ploughing engines; a craft marquee with a wide variety of stands; and demonstrations of the latest tractors, farm machinery and equipment under working conditions.

On the first day the ploughmen will compete in two classes: reversible and conventional. Those who qualify will go through to the finals on the second day to find the two national champions. The first day also sees the final of the National Young Farmers' Ploughing Championships, the David Brown Ploughing Championship, horticultural (or garden tractors), high cut tractor ploughing and horse ploughing.

On the second day, lovers of classic machinery and equipment will enjoy three classes for vintage tractor ploughing - with trailing ploughs, hydraulic ploughs and classic ploughs - and 75 area champions competing for the honour of being the British Vintage Champion Ploughman and going on to represent England in the European Vintage Ploughing Championships next year.

Horse ploughing is one of the major “family” attractions, with around a dozen pairs of heavy horses at work each day. Magnificently turned out with ornate brass and leather harness, these true farm ‘workhorses’ will be seen competing to produce the best general purpose ploughing on the first day and the stylish traditional ‘high cut’ work on the second day.

Nigel Pritchard and Adrian Abbott will be on hand to welcome you to MJ Abbott's stand in the trade stand area to view and discuss the extensive range of products we have on offer for farmers, contractors and self-builders.

Please call in to the stand and join us for a cup of coffee in comfort in our purpose-built Towmaster exhibition trailer.

The event is open from 9.00am to 5.30pm on both days. We look forward to seeing you - the postcode for your sat nav is RG23 8TH.

The Society of Ploughmen website:  http://www.ploughmen.co.uk/