NI hosts Euro ploughing championship

Published Friday, 05 October 2012
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Farmers from across Europe are in Northern Ireland for one of the show-piece events of the agricultural year - the Reversible Ploughing Championships.

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The prestigious competition is being held locally for the first time ever, at Drumahoe near Londonderry, between 5 and 6 October.

It's taking place alongside the NI Ploughing Championships.

Competitors from the region have had a great deal of success in the past, having won previous world and European championships.

William King from the Ploughing Association said success takes a cool nerve, a steady hand and an eye for a straight line.

"There's lot of aspects," he said, detailing some of the event's rules. "There's about 11 aspects all together, but straightness is very much the priority.

They want to do well for their country.

William King

"These competitors have put an awful lot of work into it. They've been here since Monday, they've been practising today. Tomorrow, there's a big climax for them.

Ploughmen from twelve different countries are attending.

The two-day festival is also viewed as a chance to showcase the importance of farming and agriculture for NI's economy.

"There's a lot of organising," said event planner Linley Deans.

"Trying to get the competitors, the logistics of getting their equipment here, the logistics of getting them from airports, bus stations, train stations, hotels - a lot of work."

Tractor pulling, trade stands and country crafts are also on show at the event, as well as a vintage section which proved a big draw for deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness

"My grandfather had a small holding in a place called Middle Illies between Buncrana and Carndonagh," the MLA reminisced.

"I used to always go for my summer holidays for weeks on end, and I actually saw my grandfather and my uncle ploughing fields with horses."

The 29th European Reversible Ploughing Contest will conclude on Saturday.

© UTV News
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1 Comments
Bob Along in Hugoduncanshire wrote (256 days ago):
Yeahhhh.....Can't wait for that one.In your face London Olympics!!!
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