The 60th All-Wales Ploughing Championship, at Gwernygo Farm, Sarn, took place on a perfect dry Saturday and the organisation by the local committee was excellent.

Everybody enjoyed themselves thoroughly; the ploughmen, hedging and wire fencing competitors, spectators and traders, all had a busy day. The ploughing fields were on stubble, but after 10 days without rain the ground was rather dry and hard, so nice clean furrows were difficult to achieve. Many local Welsh ploughmen were up against Englishmen and competition was fierce.

Classes 1, 2 and 3 covered modern hydraulic semi-digger and reversible ploughs. Past Welsh Champion and World title runner-up Evan Watkin won Class 1 and is 2019 Welsh Champion, he will be going to the 2020 World Championship in Russia. The under-26 Class 2 was won by James George, while Class 3, reversible world-style, was won by Hugh Griffith.

Vintage ploughing classes are always very popular with visitors, many older farmers casting a critical eye over the furrows cut by competitors. Classic Class 5 caters for 1960-1976 tractors and ploughs, with 14 participants and a number of former winners in contention. Jon Cole beat all-comers to take first prize with his Nuffield 3, followed by Paul Studley (International Harvester) and Ceri Richards (David Brown 880).

The Class 6 vintage trailer ploughing field can be located by smell - a good many old Fordson N paraffin-fuelled tvo tractors are still used for this class, giving a very ‘vintage’ feel to the scene. A number of past champions were competing, including John Milnes, who once again took the title with his Massey Ferguson 35/Ransomes plough combination, ahead of Brian Shaw and regular competitor Andrew Buckley.

Vintage hydraulic Class 7 is always very close-fought, with 17 participants including a number of well-known ploughmen. Tony Bradley came fourth, despite an operation to his arm, and got a special mention. The winner was previous Welsh Champion Richard Ingram, closely followed by Emlyn Jones who improves every year, and Cliff Hamer in third.

High-cut Class 8 is fascinating to watch as any error shows up on the steep, narrow furrows. John Broomfield took the title, followed by regular competitor Derek Needham with his unusual Zetor 4511 tractor and John Saunders third.

The ever-popular Ferguson TE20 class was won by Keith Williams, with Donald Mills second and Richard Glyn Jones third.

Horse-ploughing remains an attractive fixture at the All-Wales with three teams competing; John Fletcher winning, followed by Heather Robertson in Class 12, General Purpose. Roger Smith took the High-cut title.