The rain that fell on the afternoon of Friday 7 October may have caused problems the following morning at the entrance to the site for the 71st British National Ploughing Championships, but it proved to be a godsend to the 244 ploughmen and women that took part, says Peter Love.
The event was held on the Chatsworth Estate at Glapwell, Derbyshire, owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, and run by the Society of Ploughmen. The condition of the ploughing fields was near perfect over the weekend, and with a decent road network around the site, the soft areas were to be a less of a hinderance to all in the end. In fact, the sun was so bright across the site that several competitors wore sunglasses to lessen the glare.
One of the most popular ploughing plots with the crowds was that of current British and European Vintage Ploughing Champion John Crowder, from Sturton by Stow in Lincolnshire. He didn’t disappoint, using his diesel-powered Fordson N and his modified Ransomes RSLD plough to great
