The Irish team have arrived in Tartu, Estonia for the 69th World Ploughing Contest (WPC) that will get underway next week.
Representing the Republic of Ireland in the conventional class is reigning world champion Eamonn Tracey from Co. Carlow.
In the reversible class is the reigning European champion from Co. Cork, Jer Coakley. The team coach is Mick Roche from Co. Wexford.
Representing Northern Ireland in the conventional class will be Andrew Gill, while David Wright will represent Northern Ireland in the reversible class.
The tractors arrived from Ireland ahead of the competitors, but without their drivers available to remove them from the lorries that brought them, members of the Australian team were present to drive them off.
According to the World Ploughing Championship 2024: “The Australians have deserved proper awards for their tremendous willingness to help.”
The competitors in the stubble field will have to contend with a site that had winter wheat grown in it this year, and will have a proposed ploughing depth of 18-22cm.
In the grassland field, the field is a mixtures of different grasses and legumes that was seeded in 2021 and received three cuts every year. This field also has a proposed ploughing depth of 18-22cm.
On Sunday, August 11, competitors will tour the Estonian Agricultural Museum at Kurgja and Tori, before they are briefed on the contest and a draw for practice plots will get underway.
Competitors can then practice from Monday to Thursday, and then the draw for the contest plots will be completed.
On Friday, August 16, the WPC grassland ploughing will begin, and will be followed by the WPC subble ploughing on Saturday, August 17.
On the Saturday, a banquet will take place before the award ceremony begins that will announce the winners from the World Ploughing Contest.
