Top ploughmen were out in force across Aberdeenshire last weekend for the Grampian Supermatch near Turriff and the Champions League match at Laurencekirk.
Both events included ploughmen who had qualified from various other matches held throughout the Morayshire, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Tayside and Fife regions.
The Grampian Supermatch was held at Blindmills, Fyvie, by kind permission of Gary Mearns and attracted 25 competitors and four demonstrators.
Secretary Alison Ironside said there was fewer competitors forward this year because some of the qualifying matches prior to the final event were postponed due to weather.
Veteran ploughman Dave Carnegie from Steelstrath, Laurencekirk, who has won the Scottish Ploughing Championships on 12 occasions, and took the top title at last year’s Grampian Supermatch, was overall judge.
He awarded the overall title to four times Scottish Champion ploughman Ian McDonald from Grange, Keith.
Ian, who is a self-employed tractor mechanic and does local contract work, was placed first in the conventional section when ploughing with his Ford 7610 and Kverneland plough.
This was Ian’s 10th win at the Grampian Supermatch.
Taking reserve was Perthshire’s Jock Sivewright from Meigle, near Blairgowrie, who was also competing in the conventional class.
Jock is a three times Scottish champion and has also won the European Championships when ploughing in the vintage section.
Having won the Grampian Supermatch on a previous occasion, his outfit included a Roadless Major and Ransomes plough.
Competitors and organisers were relieved that the weather stayed on their side resulting in better ploughing conditions than anticipated.
The Champions League match held at Pert Farm, Laurencekirk, by kind permission of JD Milne & Partner, was postponed by a week.
Winning overall, when judged by Jock Aitchson, was one of the youngest competitors in the field, Douglas Greig, 25, from an arable farm at Tealing, Dundee.
He is a tractor man at Brunton Farms, Arbroath, and started ploughing at aged 13.
Douglas has been competing for the past five years, having ploughed at the Scottish Championships on five occasions.
He won the match in his 12 inch vintage lift section with his Massey Ferguson 35 and Ransomes plough.
Reserve was Raymond Smart from Leven in Fife, who was competing in the vintage trailing class.
He has won various local matches but this was his first big win in the league.
RESULTS
Grampian Supermatch
League – Conventional – M Skea; two-furrow reversible hydraulic – S Alexander; two-furrow reversible non-hydraulic – C Forbes; multi-furrow – K McDonald; vintage mounted – R McDonald; vintage trailing – D Stewart; most points feering and finish – D Stewart and M Skea; youngest competitor – A Stevenson.
Supermatch – Conventional – 1, I McDonald (140), Grange; 2, J Sivewright, Maud (138); 3, W Grieve, Fife (133). Two-furrow reversible hydraulic – 1, S Alexander, Laurencekirk (139); 2, E Proctor, Alford (120). Non-hydraulic reversible – 1, D Towns, Elgin (102); 2, C Forbes, Elgin (95); 3, G Gilbert, Elgin (84). Multi-furrow plough – 1, J Morrison, Macduff (136); 2, K Grieve, Turriff (130); 3, K McDonald, Elgin (127). Vintage mounted – 1, A Davidson, Crimond (109); 2, H Sutherland, Kingswells (107); 3, R McDonald, Kingswells (106). Vintage trailing – 1, D Stewart, New Deer (130); 2, 1, R Bain, Elgin (100); 3, D Clarihew, Elgin (99). Demonstrators – 1, HRN; 2, Sellers; 3, CC Powell. Best young farmer, best 21-year-old and under – K Grieve, Turriff. Best feering and finish reversible – S Alexander, Laurencekirk. Best feering and finish conventional, straightest furrows – I McDonald, Grange. Overall vintage – A Davidson, Crimond. Reserve overall – J Sivewright, Meigle. Overall – I McDonald, Grange.
Champions League
Trailing – 1, R Smart; 2, D Stewart; 3, A Brown. 10” – 1, J McKechnie; 2, D McCulloch; 3, D Veitch. 12” – 1, D Greig; 2, R McKechnie; 3, H Sutherland. Butts – 1, D Carnegie; 2, S Alexander; 3, G Beattie. 12″ hydraulic – 1, J Sivewright; 2, WB Grieve; 3, G Hepburn. Horticultural – 1, T Tweedie; 2, B Smith; 3, C Prentice. Handtrip – 1, C Crawford; 2, H Mutch; 3, S Fowler. Multi-furrow – 1, S Eccles; 2, S Gannopn; 3, J Dunn. Reserve champion – R Smart. Champion in the field – D Greig.
