The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Centenary milestone for plough assocation
The Glenbervie and Howe o’the Mearns Ploughing Association is preparing to hold its centenary match next weekend.
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 Saturday, 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, of Mains of Throsk, Stirling.
Among the judges is the father of association president, Munro Smith jun. His father – Munro Smith sen – has been attending the event for 70 years and will judge at the contest for the first time.
Munro jun’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 repre- senting 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 sen, from Forfar, who will come to compete in the conventional section at Candy.
Others include Raymond Middleton, of Elgin, who competed and won the vintage reversible section at the European championships in Germany, and 14-year-old Louise Airth, of Drumlithie, who is competing with a five-furrow plough. Next week’s 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.
“The people of the north-east have always won”