The Fast and the Farmer-ish: Will NI team be crowned UK’s best tractor drivers in new BBC series?

The Fast and the Farmer-ish will see teams of three from Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales battle it out to be crowned the UK’s best tractor driving team!

The seven-part series is hosted by farmer and social media star, Tom Pemberton, and promises to deliver some high-octane driving challenges - like Top Gear, but in tractors!

The Fast and the Farmer-ish was filmed by Alleycats TV in Ballymoney, County Antrim, with each of the teams from across the UK hoping to secure a place in the coveted final.

Teams from Northern Ireland will feature in episode two - the ‘Bogmen’ and the ‘Determinators’.

The ‘Bogmen’ is made up of three best friends from the heart of Fermanagh, Daniel Thornton, Wayne Manley and William Parkinson, while the ‘Determinators’ includes Stephanie Reid, Shannon Cartin and David Boyd.

From testing their raw speed in a drag race, and their artistic skills in an extra-terrestrial mowing challenge, before being literally shocked by the toughest reversing manoeuvre they will ever encounter, these young farmers have never worked harder!

Episode one is the English heat featuring the all-female ‘Diva Drivers’ from Leicestershire, who are determined to out-manoeuvre Somerset’s ‘Checkshirt Choppers’.

From tractor racing through a muddy bog, to negotiating an obstacle course while singing their favourite karaoke tracks and demolishing sheds in a radical ten-pin tractor bowling game, this is not your average day on the farm.

Fermanagh man Ciaran O’Rourke, who has worked with both Grassmen and Farmflix in the past, worked as the agri consultant on this new show for the BBC.

He explained the format: “Two teams will go head-to-head, with the winner of the heat going into one of two semi-finals, then those winners will go into the final.

“Competitors brought along their own tractors – when they’re side by side, it gets very competitive!”

Fleming Agri and John McElderry were also on-hand to provide some of the kit needed for the challenges, and filming the series proved great craic for everyone involved.

There is a good variety of tractors and a vast range of horsepower put to the test in each episode, with some surprises guaranteed along the way!

The first instalment of this brand new farming series will begin at 9pm on BBC Three on Wednesday 9 February.