Montgomeryshire ploughman, Evan Watkin from New Mills has been crowned Welsh Ploughing Champion 2023 for an incredible 15th time, retaining his title at the 63rd All Wales Ploughing and Hedging Championships on Saturday, 9 September.

The contest was hotly contested with Evan pipping previous two-time champion, Rhodri George of Hayscastle to the top spot.

The Welsh Ploughing Association was set up in 1958 to hold an annual All Wales Ploughing and Hedging Championships to encourage ploughing and hedging in the area.

This year the championships returned to Ceredigion, organised by Cymdeithas Aredig Ceredigion, returning to the coastal location of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth-owned farm of Morfa Mawr, Llanon after a break of 13 years.

The event incorporated the Six Nations Vintage Ploughing Championship as well as staging a varied display of vintage tractors cars and farming techniques. The Castell Howell sponsored event attracted competitors and exhibitors from all over Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland to sample some Ceredigion hospitality, which started on Friday night with a traditional church service of ‘Blessing the Plough’ at St Restitutus Church in the nearby larger village of Llanrhystud, followed by a traditional thanksgiving ploughman’s supper.

The conventional ploughing (world style) class saw Evan Watkin beat Rhodri George both using Case International 895 tractors, with Yorkshire’s David Chappell coming third with his Massey Ferguson 420.

In the under 26 conventional ploughing (world style) class North Walian Euron Griffith beat off the challenge of Morgan Evans from the Gower.

Ceredigion’s own Wyn Jones of Llangoedmor won the reversible ploughing (world style) class from Pwllheli’s Hugh Griffith. A

nother hotly contested competition was the General Purpose / Semi-Digger (Classic) class with Herefordshire’s Jon Cole of Ross on Wye with his Nuffield Universal pipping joint second place Ceri Richards of Llandysul and Shifnal’s Roy Stokes with David Brown’s 880 & 780 respectively.

In the Vintage Ploughing (Trailer Plough) class Ellesmere’s Derek Lloyd beat Tony Windridge of Symonds Yat with Tenby’s Gordon Harries third.

Meanwhile the Vintage Ploughing (Hydraulic) class saw Richard Ingram of Atherstone, Warwickshire come out on top from Emlyn Jones of Trefeglwys and Llanidloes’ Cliff Hamer third.

In the Six Nations Vintage Ploughing competitions, England did exceptionally well in two out of three classes.

In the Vintage Classic, Jon Cole won with fellow Englishman Carl Wright second and Scotland’s Alistair Davidson third.

In the Vintage Trailer class England took top spot again through Trevor Johnstone, with Jim Cullen of the Republic of Ireland second and John Milnes of England third.

The Republic of Ireland dominated the Vintage Hydraulic class Tom Beausang beating his compatriot Ray Clancy with Trefeglwys’ Emlyn Jones picking up third place.

The dedicated Ferguson TE20 class saw a fight between Anglesey ploughmen Richard Glyn Jones and Charles Williams, with Jones coming out on top and Wil John of Clunderwen taking third spot.

The Novice ploughman class saw Ken Morse of Milford Haven beat Matthew William Price of Whitland, with David Morris Jones of Llanfaelog, Anglesey in third.

Due to the hot weather, only one team of horses competed, and John Fletcher of Moylegrove, Cardigan put in a superb display of horse ploughing. Anglesey’s Aled Roberts picked up the Welsh Hedging Championship with Carwyn Jones of Welshpool second, with Rita Jones of Tredomen, Brecon, third.

As a side attraction, vintage tractor collector Dai Thomas assembled a wide and varied selection of exhibits. Here Chris Nicholson had his Garvie 42 thrashing drum teamed with Dai’s Jones cub baler, driven by belts from a pair of Allis Chalmers U’s owned by brothers Wyn and Cefin Mathias of Crymych. Dai was joined by Alun Lewis from Penegoes who used to work a baler like this for many years, who showed him hints and tips on tying bales. Elfyn Williams of Pumsaint had his hand built 7” Burrell steam engine.

Also on display was Neil Davies’ corn mill, driven by a Marshall and the Barclay Ross barn thrashing drum of John Parry’s. There was a static display of cast iron seats by Heulyn Davies, rope making and types of knots by Lloyd Jones and Wyn Francis had a collection of old farm tools.

After this year’s successful event, the championship moves to Llangynog , Carmarthenshire next (28 September, 2024) and will be organised by the Carmarthenshire Ploughing Association.