Storm Amy whipped through the Wye Valley in Herefordshire, but it did not dampen the spirit of the 181st Wormside Annual Ploughing Match. The event, one of the oldest agricultural improvement society gatherings in the country, saw competitors from as far as Cornwall and the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, who had started their journey at 4am.
The high-cut ploughing contest was a particular highlight. This heritage technique, developed in the mid-1800s to prevent bird scavenging of broadcast seeds, involves creating deep grooves with furrows resembling wedges of cheese. Metal boats are dragged behind to polish the sides, allowing seeds to fall into the furrow before being buried by a harrow or horse-drawn bush. Though obsolete in modern mechanised farming, the method lives on at such events.
Horses, with their ancient beauty and mesmerising contrast of gentleness and power, were a focal point. Elsewhere, in the Open, Vintage, and Novice classes, judges scrutinised for straight ploughing lines, furrow depth of 7 inches, and level seedbeds. Fifteen-year-old Josh, competing with his stepdad and mentor Dan, drove a Massey Ferguson 135 with a two-furrow David Brown plough. Having already won two competitions this season, one more win would see him graduate from novice status.
As gusts intensified and a rainbow signalled rain from the west, attendees sought shelter in the marquee. Inside, displays of arranged flowers, home-grown vegetables, cakes, jams, and chutneys competed for silver cups. For many, the first stop after braving Storm Amy was a flapjack and coffee.
