Ploughing Procedures

1. ENTRIES

These must be made on the official entry form and be received by the Secretary, along with the appropriate fee, by the closing date.

2. REPORTING TIME

Competitors must report to the Secretary’s office before 9.30am. Failure to do so may result in points being deducted from their Score.

3. STARTING TIME

The Starting times for the Classes will be as follows:-

Senior, Intermediate and Classic Classes 10.30 to 10.50 am for split opening

re-commence at 11.30am

Other Tractor Classes 11.30am

Exhibition and Horse Classes 11.00am

Competitors may set up their sighting poles before the starting time of their Class. Loose straw may also be removed from the plot but only by the competitor. (No assistance is allowed for this purpose). Any competitor starting late will receive no extra time.

4. FINISHING TIME

All Classes will finish at 2.45pm. A horn will be sounded 10 minutes before this time and again at the finishing time when competitors must have their plot completed and their outfit on the headland. Any competitor who has to wait for his neighbour finishing his gathering may have extra time allowed provided he has notified the Steward of his section at the time of the delay. The extra time allowed will be decided by the Chief Steward. A competitor who has to mark out for his own cast-off will have 10 minutes extra time allowed.

5. OFFICIALS

The Association shall appoint a Chief Steward and a Deputy Chief Steward who will be assisted in the Stewarding of the Competition by Stewards provided by the affiliated vintage tractor and machinery clubs.

6. PLOUGHING PROCEDURE

Plots will be ploughed as drawn and allocated. There will be no changing of plots.

Each plot to be ploughed shall consist of one Crown, one Cast Off and a Finish. The Finish to be thrown towards the Crown. The ploughing of the last two furrows to be left to the discretion of the competitor, to leave the best Finish suitable for crossing with harvesting machinery. The sod must show within the first solid furrow of the Crown, otherwise the competitor may be disqualified.

In the Senior, Intermediate and Classic Classes a Split Opening is Compulsory and 20 minutes are allowed to make the split when ploughing will cease to allow for the judging of the splits. Ploughing will re-commence at 11.30am. No rolling of the furrows of the opening splits is allowed. In all the other Classes the type of opening is at the Competitor’s discretion but no extra points will be awarded for a split opening but extra time will be allowed. They must advise the organisers with their entry form that they intend making a split opening. They will be permitted to make their opening at the same time as the Senior Class and stop Ploughing after 20 mins. They will then re-commence ploughing at the normal start time for their Class.

The Reversible Class will operate on a Butts system and will leave an unploughed strip of 1.5m which must be parallel with the adjoining plot. Points will be deducted if the required measurements are not achieved.

7. SAFETY

All tractors being used at the Match must be Insured for the third party risks and only be driven by licensed drivers (in the Junior Class the Competitor may only drive the tractor on the Plot but must be driven to and from the Plot by a licensed driver).

No passengers are to be carried on any part of the tractors or ploughing outfits within the grounds or car parks of the Match. Any Sharp parts of the ploughing equipment must be used, stored and transported in such a way to avoid injury to other competitors or spectators.

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