British National Ploughing Championships attracts 8,000 visitors
More than 8,000 people braved muddy conditions to watch the British National Ploughing Championships, which returned to Staffordshire after an absence of 36 years.
There were more than 250 farmers taking part in the competition at Sheepwash Farm in Whittington, near Lichfield, with places at events including European and World ploughing competitions.
The last time the event was held at Whittington was in 1976, the year of the great drought.
But this time around the challenge was mud, with visitors ferried around on tractors and some vehicles having to be pulled out of the ground.
The show's executive director Ken Chappell said: "Because of the rain, some people had dry plots and some had wet plots.
"There's been difficult conditions but we must have had between 8,000 and 9,000 spectators. It's been muddy but we've put wood shavings dow to help."
As well as the ploughing contests and trade stands, the event featured attractions such as static vintage tractors, ploughs and equipment, steam engines and threshing displays.
One of the winners of the weekend event was Richard Ingram, 48, of Atherstone in Warwickshire, who was handed a vintage ploughing trophy and will now represent England at the 2013 European Vintage Ploughing Championships in Market Warsop. He said: "There have been difficult conditions but I was lucky and drew a good bit of land. I'm really pleased."
