A ploughman from Stanton Wick will represent England at the European Vintage and Classic Ploughing Championships in Germany next year.
Tim Hurley, who has been ploughing for 50 years, qualified for the event, which will take place in September 2027, after competing in the national ploughing championships in Warwickshire last month.
He’s no stranger to international competition, having represented England at the European Championships in Belgium this year and at the Six Nations two years ago.
He began learning the craft at 17, working locally for ploughman Ted Walker, who taught him the trade. Tim later competed at national level, first qualifying in 1989. Across his years in national competitions, he has earned eight second places, two thirds and two firsts.
Tim has competed in several ploughing classes, including conventional, reversible and classic reversible. The classic category uses machines made between 1960 and 1976, while vintage machines are older.
For Tim, success comes down to control and experience.
“Straightness is the main thing,” he said. “Competitors must understand how their plough responds to changing ground and adjust it to account for slopes and variations in soil.”
Tim has worked on farms throughout his life, but for the past 20 years he has run a gardening and building-maintenance business after returning to his wife’s family farm.
He said this year’s hot, dry weather made conditions tougher. He also noted that reduced ploughing on some farms can leave the ground harder to work when it is eventually turned.
And there are signs of renewed interest among younger competitors, he said. Some 37 young farmers took part in a class at this year’s national event, and organisers are considering bringing back an older farmers’ class.
Tim expects to seek sponsorship again to help cover the cost of travelling to Germany. He said supporters had backed his previous trip, and some money was returned when the final costs proved lower than expected.