SALISBURY & District Agricultural Club’s 61st annual ploughing match was held last Saturday at land in Grovely Woods, Great Wishford.

It was a persistently rainy morning with a distinctive chill in the air but this didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the competitors who came to plough and, luckily, the rain stopped and it brightened up in time for the prize giving.

The site was provided by kind permission of JH & PJ Swanton, long-term supporters of the club.

Brian Osborne and David Low, of Fonthill and Willoughby Hedge Ploughing Association, together with Robin Swanton and Brian Osborne, of Avebury Ploughing Association, judged the ploughmen.

One of the entrants, John Fitchett of Netheravon (pictured above), competed in the first ever ploughing match in 1953 and was ploughing again this year, in spite of the weather.

Class A – Conventional Ploughs 1, Dave Dennis, Gussage St Michael; 2, Peter Alford, Wilton; 3, Mike King, Durrington

Class E – Reversible Ploughs 1, Dennis Rose, Bapton Manor Farm, Wylye; 2, Gareth Jenkins, Hatt Farm, Mottisfont; 3, Philip Barnes, Parsonage Farm, Farley

Class F – Champion’s Class 1, Andrew Neave, Broad Chalke; 2, Ron West, Manor Farm, Tidcombe; 3, John Whitehorn, Broadlands Farm, Landford

Class V – Vintage Ploughs 1, Graeme Bowyer, Potterne; 2, David Pope, Eley’s Farm, Porton; 3, TonyBushnell, Burbage

Special Prizes - Best RA Hunt Member, Mike King, Durrington; Best Under 21 Member, Daniel Bryant, Stapleford; Patrick Coggan Memorial Cup, Matt Whitehorn, Landford Wood; Best Club Member, Dennis Rose, Bapton Manor Farm, Wylye; Best Strike Out, Peter Alford, Wilton; Best Finish Off, Graeme Bowyer, Potterne; Best MF Tractor Ploughing, Graeme Bowyer, Potterne; Best IH/Case Ploughing, Dave Dennis, Gussage St Michael; Best Ford/NH Ploughing, Mike King, Durrington; Best John Deere Ploughing, Andrew Stevens, Wilton; Best Ransome Ploughing, Dave Dennis, Gussage St Michael; Best Kverneland Ploughing, Dennis Rose, Bapton Manor Farm, Wylye; Best Member of NUAAW, David Pope, Eley’s Farm, Porton; Best Turned Out Vintage, Peter Stevens with a 1962 Massey Ferguson Champion Ploughman, Dave Dennis, Gussage St Michael

Grain Sample Competition - Best Group I/II Wheat, RJ Moore & Sons, Manor Fm, Stapleford; Best Group III/IV Wheat, RJ Moore & Sons, Manor Farm, Stapleford; Best Malting Barley, DEJ Parsons, Parsonage Farm, Farley; Best Oil Seed, Jon Dare, Hurdcott Estate; Best Peas or Beans, JH & PJ Swanton, South Newton; Best Oats D E J Parsons, Parsonage Farm, Farley.