Ploughmen dig deep for annual match
After the heavy rain on Friday night into Saturday morning, there would not be many fields in Kintyre that the Kintyre Agricultural Society’s Annual Ploughing Match would have been able to go ahead on.
But an excellent field at Machrihanish Farm saw the competition go ahead without any problems.
This was in no small part due to the hard work of president Malcolm Ronald and director Drew McKendrick in the days leading up to the competition.
A fantastic 20 competitors had entered and in a very keenly contested competition Tom McMillan, who had travelled overseas from Bute, was the overall winner on the day.
Willie McIntosh from Blairgowrie and Willie Buchanan from Connel were the judges for the day.
The agricultural society would like to thank the Pirie family for hosting the ploughing match, all competitors, the judges for traveling to Kintyre to judge the competition, all competitors, some of whom had travelled a long way to take part, all sponsors and Carole Armour for catering.
Results
Class 1 (Under 12 inch): 1 Tom McMillan (Bute); 2 Ian Livingstone (Bute); 3 Michael Mayberry (Bellochantuy).
Extra Prizes: Best break, Tom McMillan (Bute); Straightest, Tom McMillan (Bute); Best first six furrows, Michael Mayberry (Bellochantuy); Best last six furrows, Tom McMillan (Bute); Best ins and outs, Ian Livingstone (Bute); Best finish, Tom McMillan (Bute).
Class 2 (12 inch and Over): 1 Thomas Ralston (Kilkivan); 2 Willie Reid (Ballybracken); 3 Gavin Reid (Craigwilline).
Extra Prizes: Best break, Thomas Ralston (Kilkivan); Straightest, Paul Newall (St John Street); Best first six furrows, Thomas Ralston (Kilkivan); Best last six furrows, Paul Newall (St John Street); Best ins and outs, Gavin Reid (Craigwilline); Best finish, Thomas Ralston (Kilkivan).
Class 3 (Reversible) 2 furrow: 1 Richard McCrindle (Muasdale); 2 Colin Crawford (Linlithgow); 3 Drew McKendrick (Glenrioch).
Class 3 (Reversible) Multi furrow: 1 Fraser MacPhail (Garcalfra); 2 Stuart McConnachie (Blasthill); 3 Lewis Anderson (Drum). Extra Prizes: Best Break, Richard McCrindle (Muasdale); Best first six furrows, John Walker (Falkirk); Straightest, Colin Crawford (Linlithgow); Best last six furrows, Lewis Anderson (Drum); Best ins and outs, Richard McCrindle (Muasdale); Best finish, Drew McKendrick (Glenrioch).
Special Prizes: First on field, John Walker; First finished, Willie Boag (Bute); Least experienced, Fraser MacPhail; Youngest competitor, Robert McDonald (Knocknaha); Furthest travelled, Colin Crawford; Oldest competitor, Willie Reid; Best looking ploughman, Willie Boag; Hardest luck, Willie Reid; Worst plot, Gavin Reid; Tidiest yoke, Fraser MacPhail; First on the field to arrive by taxi, Willie Boag. Tractor Prizes: Best maintained, Colin Crawford; Oldest tractor, Ian Livingstone; Newest tractor, Robert McDonald.
Cup Winners: Kintyre Agricultural Cup and Winner of the RHAS Medal, Tom McMillan; Messrs Ralston Cup for winner in Non-Medal Class, Richard McCrindle; John Cullen Cup for winner of Reversible Class, Richard McCrindle; John McKay Cup for best lot by 25-year-old or younger, Robert McDonald; Glenside Cup for most points using Case/International Tractor, Lewis Anderson; Hamilton Bros Cup for most points using a Massey Ferguson Tractor, Tom McMillan; Ford Cup for most points using a Ford tractor, Richard McCrindle.