THE 60th Salisbury & District Agricultural Club ploughing match was held at Vineys Farm, Amesbury last Saturday in glorious autumn sunshine by kind permission of Richard Crook and Miles D’Arcy Irvine.

Alan Nash and David Low, of Fonthill and Willoughby Hedge Ploughing Association, together with Andrew Ainslie and Mark Noble of Avebury Ploughing Association judged the ploughmen.

One of the entrants, John Fitchett of Netheravon competed in the first ever Ploughing Match in 1953 and was ploughing again this year with his Allis Chalmers Model U tractor that he had used when he first started working on a local farm as a boy.

A new cup, the Patrick Coggan Memorial Cup, was kindly donated by Mrs Coggan in memory of her husband, who was president of the ploughing match for many years. It was awarded to Matthew Whitehorn of Broadlands Farm, Landford for the best ploughing by an under-40-year-old.

The sponsors included Woolley & Wallis, who gave a special 60th anniversary prize in commemoration of their long association with the ploughing match. It was awarded to champion ploughman Andrew Neave.

Champion Ploughman: Andrew Neave.

Class A – conventional ploughs: 1st Brian Perrett, Cranborne; 2nd Mike King, Durrington; 3rd Rob Beale, Copse Side Farm, Ansty.

Class C – 5 furrows or more, conventional ploughs: 1st Andrew Stevens, Wilton; 2nd Andrew Offer, Marlborough.

Class E – reversible ploughs: 1st Dennis Rose, Bapton Manor Farm, Wylye; 2nd Matthew Whitehorn, Broadlands Farm, Landford; 3rd Philip Barnes, Parsonage Farm, Farley.

Class F – champion’s class: 1st David Pope, Porton; 2nd Ron West, TP Hayward Farms, Tidcombe.

Class V – vintage ploughs: 1st Andrew Neave, Broad Chalke; 2nd Graeme Bowyer, Potterne; 3rd Charlie Byrd, Worcester.

Special Prizes – Best RA hunt member: David Pope, Porton. Best under 21 member: Jack Davis, Shaftesbury. Best club member: Dennis Rose, Bapton Manor Farm, Wylye.

Best strike out: Andrew Neave, Broad Chalke. Best finish off: Graeme Bowyer, Potterne. Best MF tractor ploughing: Andrew Neave, Broad Chalke. Best IH/Case Ploughing: Mike Goodlife, Gussage All Saints. Best Ford/NH ploughing: David Pope, Porton. Best John Deere ploughing: John Whitehorn, Landford Wood. Best Fendt ploughing: Ian Andrews, Drews of Dinton.

Best Ransome ploughing: Andrew Neave, Broad Chalke. Best Kverneland ploughing: Dennis Rose, Bapton Manor Farm, Wylye.

Best member of National Union of Agricultural & Allied Workers: Mike King, Durrington. Best turned out vintage: Will Collins with 1964 Fordson Super Major.

Grain Sample Competition – Best group i/ii wheat: JH & PJ Swanton, Manor Farm, South Newton. Best group iii/iv wheat: RJ Moore & Sons, Manor Farm, Stapleford. Best malting barley: RJ Moore & Sons, Manor Farm, Stapleford. Best oil seed rape: JH & PJ Swanton, Manor Farm, South Newton. Best peas: RC Crook, Vineys Farm, Amesbury.

Best beans: WH & SJ Rawlins, Ablington Farm, Figheldean. Best oats: DEJ Parsons, Parsonage Farm, Farley.