By Meyrick Brown

THERE were outstanding wins for Pembrokeshire ploughmen, Rhodri George and his son James at the 57th All Wales Ploughing Match and Hedging Championships over the weekend.

Rhodri took the trophy for the outright ploughing champion while James took the under 26 title.

The championships were held, by invitation of David and Catherine James of Trevithel Court, at Mill Ground, Tregoyd overlooking the Wye valley at Three Cocks in Breconshire.

Last year's representatives had, just a week previously, successfully carried the Welsh flag at the 2016 World Ploughing event held at Crockley Hall, north Yorkshire where Evan Watkin – representing Wales for the 12th time - ploughed in the conventional section gaining 5th place from 27 craftsmen.

Elfed Jones of Corwen in the reversible class was placed 15th out of 30.

When the Welsh team travel to Kenya for the world championships in December of next year Rhodri George of Hayscastle, near Haverfordwest, who was previously a team member to British Columbia in 2013 and France a year later, will again be joined by Elfed Jones who will be the reversible challenger for the sixth time.

At the same event Gordon Harries of Tenby, competing in the vintage trailed plough class, qualified to compete at both the British and European vintage championships in 2017 and Roger Minchin of Manorbier won the Pembrokeshire style hedge laying class.

The 2017 All Wales ploughing match will be organised by the Vale of Glamorgan Society and held at Boverton Place, Llantwit Major on Sunday, September 17, and will return to the St Davids and District Society in Pembrokeshire in 2018.

Next Saturday, September 24, the European Vintage Ploughing championships being arranged by the South Pembrokeshire Society, are to take place at Rowston Farm, Stackpole, Pembroke.