Sunday 27th September 2015, sees the Haigh, Aspull and Blackrod Annual Ploughing Competition take place, hosted on the land of Brinsop Hall Farm, off the A6 Chorley Road, Westhoughton, Bolton.
It is the seventh event to be held in the borough after Blackrod Town Councillor and ex farmer Graham Farrington revived the contest following a fifty year break.
Competitors will be travelling from far and wide to take part in the ploughing competitions.
A variety of ploughing / tractor competition classes will be held, including young farmers and classic ploughs, the overall aim being to plough the neatest area of land.
Donations at Sunday’s event will be for the third year running, kindly in support of Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.
Charles Heeley, the owner of Brinsop Hall Farm, is kindly yet again hosting this years event on his land.
Back in September 2010, the team was involved in a search at Brinsop Hall Farm for the uncle of Charles Heeley, with sadly 83 years old Mr Charles Gordon Gregory, known as Gordon, being found deceased by the team in a pond near the farm. (Please see website ‘News’ item dated Friday 24th September 2010, Incident 80)
Following the funeral of the late Mr Charles Gordon Gregory, a substantial donation of £542.00 was kindly made to the Bolton MRT in lieu of flowers, to the memory of Gordon Gregory.
Over the last two years of this ploughing competition, £760.00 has been thoughtfully raised to support the work of the Bolton Mountain rescue Team.
Blackrod Town Councillor and former farmer Graham Farrington decided to revive the traditional contest after a 50-year break.
Before the lapse in the competition there were regular ploughing events held in Blackrod until the 1920s — with Cllr Farrington’s father taking part.
Now he is preparing to watch his son Craig and grandsons Kieran and Callum compete for the top prize on Sunday.
Cllr Farrington said:
“Ploughing is something of an ancient art and it is a lot harder and more skilful than a lot of people realise.”
“The competition is a good way of showing off the skill that farmers have, because the ploughing has to be inch-perfect if it is done correctly.”
Mr Farrington, now aged 76, won the original competition when he was 17 years old and he has a certificate marking his own father’s victory when he was at a similar age.
He said: “A lot of people are interested in the vintage machinery used and we often get people coming from far and wide to enjoy the show, it should be a great day.”
Ploughing will begin on Sunday from 10am and the judges’ decisions will be announced at 2pm.
The team will be attending the event on Sunday 27th September 2015, with at least one of our Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances to show our support for this great local event.
The team wishes to thank Charles Heeley and all associated with Sundays event for their appreciated kindness in continuing to thoughtfully support Bolton Mountain Rescue Team in this unique manner
Please also see website ’news’ entries; Incident 80-2010 dated Friday 24th September 2010, website ’guestbook’ entry dated Tuesday 28th September 2010, Friday 7th January 2011, Thursday 14th November 2013, Sunday 28th September and Wednesday 10th December 2014.
