Local Ploughing Match Raises Over £1300 for Charity

Photographs courtesy of Lisa Clair Photography www.lisaclairphotography.co.uk

A group of local people, who live in Charlton Musgrove and Gillingham, organised a charitable ploughing match on Easter Sunday at Lower Zeals near Mere, and raised the amazing sum of £1300.

It was the 12th year of the event being organised and once again, they were raising funds for some very well-known charities, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, The Fortuneswell Cancer Trust, Dorchester and Gillingham Scouts.

The event is primarily for vintage and classic tractors, and ploughs. The tractors and ploughs date back as far as the 1930s, and one of the regular competitors was supplied by the ‘War Ag’ Committee specifically for war work, and has been in the same family ever since. The 67 entrants competed in several different classes and the winners were awarded prizes.

The overall winner and winner of the conventional plough with 3+ furrows was John Harris, and the junior winner was Jack Davis.

The remaining winners were as follows: Harry Dodd (Mounted Match Plough), Geoff Smith (Mounted Plough Vintage Tractor), Andrew Neave (Mounted Plough Classic Tractor), Trevor Miles (Trailer Plough Vintage Tractor), Ken Puttick (Trailer Plough Classic Tractor) and Ian Cradock (C&O Tractors Award).

From left to right: Robin Hawkins, on behalf of Ian Cradock (Winner of – C&O Tractors Award), P Studley (Second in Mounted Plough Classic Tractor), John Bastable (Organiser) Jack Davis (Junior Winner), John Harris (Winner of the conventional plough with 3+ furrows), Geoff Smith (Winner of Mounted Plough Vintage Tractor) and Andrew Neave (Winner of Mounted Plough Classic Tractor).

As part of the entry fee, participants all received a fabulous complimentary bacon and egg roll with the bacon being kindly donated by The Fine Food Company in Wincanton. Spectators also had the opportunity to buy and enjoy one too, plus there was a raffle with some fantastic prizes donated by local businesses.

Chris Ricketts, Managing Director at The Fine Food Company, explained why he was happy to support this event.

“We are more than pleased to support local charitable events such as this one, as the more help they get the more money they can raise for these super charities. Every year they raise an incredible amount of money and this year is no different.”

John Bastable and Tony Adams, who organized the event, together with a huge amount of help from family and friends, said;

“We are over-the-moon at what we have raised. We’d like to thank The Fine Food Company for supporting our event as it means that we are able to give more money to the very deserving charities we have chosen to support this year. Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the event, both the participants and the spectators, it was a superb day.”

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