A RECORD number of ploughmen (and one woman) competed at Puddington when Witheridge and District Ploughing and Agricultural Group held its annual match.

It was held on fields belonging to the ground was good to the Stoyle and Ayre families, where the ground was good to soft, people saying “we have ploughed on worse!”

Apart from the good weather, this was a match where the winners of the four classic and vintage classes qualified for this year’s National Vintage area finals.

The championships are to be held near Taunton in October. Tuesday’s match at Puddington was one of the last Devon matches.

With more than 50 entries for the ploughing, chairman Alan Bickley said this was a record number. He thanked everyone who had helped with and supported the match.

As well as the eight classes of ploughing, four of which were qualifiers for the 2017 National Vintage area finals, there were good entries in all the classes outside and inside the big marquee of farm produce and produce from the home and garden.

These included roots, silage, hay, barley, oats and more while in the marquee were tables displaying vegetables, flowers, cookery, preserves, crafts and the various classes for children to enter.

The one woman ploughing this year was 25 years old Rachel Pincombe who lives at South Molton and is a member of Meshaw YFC. She works for Mole Valley Farmers at South Molton.

Rachel has been ploughing for two years, encouraged to do so by her boyfriend and her parents. So far as is known, she is the first woman to plough with the Witheridge Group.

She ploughed at Witheridge last year and this was her third outing this year when she won her class, adding to another first prize won elsewhere. Rachel says she might be at the Mid Devon this autumn.

Doing the best work of the day and champion ploughman was Vince Gill from Cornwall who competed in the classic pre 1976 class.

RESULTS

Open digger - 1 D Tonkin, 2 W Tonkin, 3 R Hayball. Open, under 26 years, two or more furrows – 1 Rachel Pincombe, 2 Thomas Gillbard.

Open, three or more furrows - 1 Arthur Heywood, 2 Alan Bickley, 3 G Henson.

Open reversible - 1 Paul Pincombe, 2 Sam Reed, 3 Michael Pincombe.

These next four classes were all national vintage qualifiers. Classic, pre 1976 - 1 Vince Gill (champion ploughman), 2 W Jenkin, 3 F Gross, 4 P Studley.

Vintage tractor and trailer plough - 1 J Hodges, 2 P Stone, 3 M Smale, 4 R Nicholls.

Vintage mounted - 1 Joe Hill, 2 A Retallack, 3 K Phillips, 4 A Westcott.

Ferguson T20 - 1 T Hurley, 2 G Buffton, 3 T Webb.

TROPHIES

Champion ploughman - Vince Gill, Cornwall. Local man with best work with three or more furrows - Alan Bickley.

Best reversible by local ploughman - Paul Pincombe. Best open reversible - Sam Reed.

Best local under the age of 25 - Rachel Pincombe. Best open local - Arthur Heywood.

Best by Witheridge YFC member - Ben Perryman who competed in the open reversible.

Best with vintage tractor and trailer plough - John Hodges. Best local in the open - Alan Bickley.

Best in the Classic pre 1976 - Vince Gill. Best with Ford tractor - Bill Tonkin. Tankard for best with a Ferguson T20 - Tim Hurley (Bristol). Best vintage mounted - Joe Hill.

Best roots - Michael Stoyle (Puddington). Best in the farm produce - Alan Bickley and D Gibson.

Most points in the domestic classes - Doreen Leat.

Most points in the children’s classes - Isabel Govier (9 years). Four young people shared the runners-up trophy - Phoebe Govier (aged 6), Reuben Gillbard (7), Tom (10) and Polly Ayre (7).

Most points in the flower and vegetable classes - Cyril Leat. Most points in the domestic, flower and vegetable classes - Joyce Rowcliffe.