LLangattock-Vibon-Avel and District Ploughing Match

The LLangattock Vibon Avel and District Ploughing and Agricultural Society Annual Ploughing Match and Show took place at Red House Farm, Mitchel Troy, Monmouth owned by Mr and Mrs Williams. In warm weather with a few showers the crowds were entertained by vintage tractors of all ages ploughing straight and true. Several pairs of horses also showed how ploughing used to be done and it was amazing to watch how easily a plough was drawn through the Monmouthshire soil when pulled by horses. One team of Dutch Draft horses, called Annie and Kaspar were entered by Fay and Kim Williams of Newent, Gloucester. A second team of bay horses, Betsy and Beauty were entered by Roger Smith of Crickhowell.
Modern tractors also showed how advanced agricultural ploughing has become. The contrast between all the ploughing methods was considerable but the horses always seemed to have a crown watching them.
Author: Peter Garwood
Email: pgarwood@globalnet.co.uk or 01600- 860376
Nick Wellington of Cross Ash, Monmouthshire gave a superb demonstration of sheep shearing. Sarah Saunders of Skenfrith then showed how the wool could be taken and spun on her spinning wheel into wool for knitting.
Livestock showed many entries with John Biggs and M. Evans getting a considerable number of 1st Prizes for their fantastic sheep.
There was a good entry into the Arts and Crafts show with the Vegetable and Fruit produce showing some very large plants grown by fastidious growers and gardeners in the area.
Brychan Gretton of Trellech, Monmouthshire judged the cereal, hay, silage and straw classes. Mr A. Cobourn used his 80 year old cider press to produce delicious apple juice and showed how this was used to make cider, the free samples of cider were very popular with the crowd. A demonstration of Bodging using a treadle lathe to turn wood was very popular as was a collection of tools from a bygone age where oil and electricity have superseded them for now - it will be interesting to see if agriculture reverts to manual labour of tools as oil gets more scarce in the world. Monmouthshire Hunt demonstrated their foxhounds in the parade ring. A lively demonstration of gundogs at work was much enjoyed by the crowd. The final event of the day was a demonstration of threshing which took many of the older farmers back to their youth. How times have changed in agriculture and it was a very pleasant day out for the farmers and country folk of Monmouthshire.