The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Association prepares to stage very special match
MILESTONE: Glenbervie and Howe o’ the Mearns has 72 ploughs lined up for event next weekend
The Glenbervie and Howe o’ the Mearns Ploughing Association is preparing to hold its centenary match next Saturday.
The association formed in 1917 after a group of farmers rallied together to help a tenant farmer plough and put crops into the new unit he was taking on.
Fast forward 100 years and the contest is still going strong, with 72 ploughs entered to compete at this year’s event on November 25 at the Forbes family’s Candy Farm, near Drumlithie.
A range of judges are lined up to cast their expert eye over the furrows, and the overall judge is David Dick, from Mains of Throsk, Stirling.
Among the judges is the father of association president, Munro Smith Jr. His father – Munro Smith Sr – has been attending the event for 70 years and will judge at the contest for the first time.
Munro Jr’s son, Bruce, and his 15-year-old grandson Reece will also be competing, making the contest very much a family affair for the Smiths.
Past chairman and society honorary president Dave Carnegie said the match offered people the chance to see some of the best ploughmen and women in the world competing.
“Everybody that’s ploughed in the world championships representing Scotland has been from Forfar or north. The people of the north-east have always won,” said Mr Carnegie.
Among the competitors at next week’s event are six-time world reversible champion Andrew Mitchell Sr, from Forfar, who will compete in the conventional section at Candy.
Others include Raymond Middleton, from Elgin, who competed and won the vintage reversible section at the European championships in Germany, and 14-year-old Louise Airth, from Drumlithie, who is competing with a five-furrow plough.
The contest kicks off at 9.30am and entry costs £5 per adult.
This provides entry to the contest and purchase of a special commemorative catalogue for the centenary match.