A fair day for ploughing in the Roe Valley

pictured at the 25th Anniversay of Roe Valley Vintage Plouhing match on Saturday afternoon in Limavady. PICTURE KEVIN MCAULEY/MCAULEY MULTIMEDIA

The sun was shining with the backdrop of blue skies and Benevenagh Mountain.

Slowly but surely the ploughmen arrived in the field of stubble with their vintage tractors and their horses, twenty-six vintage tractors and four sets of horses in total.

The atmosphere was jovial, with many of the same faces who attend year after year greeting each other in a welcome fashion - all glad to be doing something normal in these strange times.

Team Scott in action during the 25th Anniversay of Roe Valley Vintage Plouhing match on Saturday afternoon in Limavady. PICTURE KEVIN MCAULEY/MCAULEY MULTIMEDIA

The ploughs were rigged to the back of the tractors and horses to invert the soil on a plot of land to create a sequence of furrows burying the remains of the old crop.

The ploughmen set to work making countless small mechanical adjustments to ensure the furrows are straight and the correct width and depth.

The spectators arrived to watch the ploughmen with their machinery and enjoy the now unusual sight of the horses at work.

The sun glinting off the shiny discs of the ploughs and the many different colours of the tractors dotted throughout the field was a spectacular sight.

Oscar Harper and Victor Blair pictured at the 25th Anniversay of Roe Valley Vintage Plouhing match on Saturday afternoon in Limavady. PICTURE KEVIN MCAULEY/MCAULEY MULTIMEDIA

Finally when the ploughing came to an end the judges appeared carefully scrutinising and marking each plot.

They had many different categories to judge, trail plough, lift plough, senior lift, classic, novice and horses.

The ploughmen came from all over Northern Ireland this year with the noticed absence of the Donegal ploughmen due to current covid restrictions. It was good to see a few younger ploughmen showing an interest in the sport, another generation to pass the skills onto.

Thanks must be given to Geoffrey Conn for the use of his field and the judges William Purcell, Sam Bowman and Martin Stewart.

Having a chat during the 25th Anniversay of Roe Valley Vintage Plouhing match on Saturday afternoon in Limavady. PICTURE KEVIN MCAULEY/MCAULEY MULTIMEDIA

The results are as follows:

Classic, first Nigel Gamble, second Tom Stewart, third, Jackie Moore.

Senior lift, first James Adair, second Frankie Davidson and third Raymond Clifford

Trail, first David Gratton, second Seamus Crossan and third Alan McLaughlin

Novice, first, Alvin Ritchie, second Matthew Crawford and third Aaron Irwin

Horses, first, Deaglan Ferris, second Sam McLaughlin and third Walter Milican.