At the time of writing, just after the county show season and as harvesting begins in earnest all around our offices, there’s plenty happening on Lincolnshire’s vast patchwork of fields.

Huge machines are rumbling and each year, ever more sophisticated farm machinery thrums along, consolidating the work that would once be completed by small armies of farm labourers into a few cogs, gears, grain walkers, headers and modern mouldboards. It’s a modern day marvel, but no matter how impressive — and necessary — the efficiency, a few of us still yearn for the days when heavy horses could still be seen rumbling around the field tugging ploughs.

One Lincolnshire farming enthusiast with a real passion for traditional horse-drawn ploughing is Mike Bingham, an agricultural lecturer and horticulturist who recently demonstrated horse drawn ploughing to crowds at the Heckington Show.

Mick and his contemporaries enjoy demonstrating their craft for show-goers, but this month, things become a little more serious as the Flintham & District Agricultural & Ploughing Show gets underway. Flintham is by no means the only ploughing competition in the UK — in fact the national ploughing finals take place at the Lincolnshire Showground on 9th/10th October at Grange de Lings near the junction of the A15 and A1500 — but Flintham is considered one of the most well-attended and faithful ploughing competitions by enthusiasts like Mike, whether you’ve a horse-drawn plough, steam plough or vintage tractor. The one day event takes place on Thursday 23rd September and will be the 91st event on Main Road, Hawksworth.

Whilst Mike spends most weekends in the summer in the company of his horses — owning two 17.2 hand shire horses, Nornay Alison and Nornay Seth — his latter-day contemporaries can work around 30 times faster. At the time of writing, the show’s chairman, James Howard is furiously combining his land to prepare for a season of ploughing for purpose rather than pleasure on his 150hp tractor with its four furrow 16” reversible plough.

“I wouldn’t trade the old fashioned methods for modern equipment though.” says Mick. “Modern farming is all about productivity. However, there’s a real skill and real enjoyment in horse-drawn ploughing.”

It’s an opinion that Mike’s contemporaries echo; last year’s Flintham event is unique in the sense that it managed to attract nine horse-drawn ploughing contestants, compared to the three or four competitors at most ploughing matches. That makes Flintham especially popular with those seeking traditional horse-drawn ploughing as well as vintage farm machinery.

Mike ploughs using an early 20th century Ransome RND47, but says that, owing to the specialised nature of horse drawn ploughing, that the craft is literally dying out in the midst of other Lincolnshire farming methods.

“The first ploughing match 1912 evolved from a challenge between two brothers one night in Flintham’s Boot & Shoe pub, both claiming their hired hands could plough better.” says the show’s chairman James Howard. “So a challenge took place in the village to find out who was the best.”

There are two classes for the competitors to enter – High Cut and Single Furrow Digger ploughing. There is also a class for the horses – for the best turned out pair of horses and the best decorated pair.

“Since the original wager in 1912 using horses to pull the plough, classes have been introduced to accommodate the involvement of the tractor ploughing.” says James. “Today we have classes for the smallest horticultural garden tractor which the ploughman walks behind, to modern computerised four wheel drive tractors. Vintage classes for tractor manufactured pre-1959 are still very popular though.”

The event opens at 8am, with ploughing beginning at 9am for both tractor and horse classes. Whilst the ploughing is taking place the 3,500 visitors are kept entertained by other county show favourites from a parade of the Per Ardua Beagles and Parade of the South Notts Hunt to judging of livestock, roots, corn and fodder.

Judging is an ongoing activity by around seven judges, awarding points for a well-cut, uniform and straight opening to good weed control, uniformity of furrows and good workmanship.

It’s remarkable that the basic method of ploughing has remained consistent since the 1600s and 1700s whereupon the design was refined by the likes of Joseph Foljambe & John Small. The basic use of the coulter and mouldboard also survived the transition from horse-drawn to powered plough.

There are two different classes in the horse drawn category — arguably requiring more skill than tractor ploughs, the height and elevation of which is maintained with more consistency.

Meanwhile there are nine different tractor ploughing classes, for modern ploughs that quality for the National Ploughing Championships, crawler tractors, vintage tractors and reversible ploughs.

“It’s a great event.” say Ian and Judith Montgomery, who are one of the show’s stewards and its ploughing secretary. Ian moved to Lincolnshire in 1953 and began competing at the Flintham show in the tractor ploughing categories since he was 13, eventually giving up competing to serve as one of the show’s organisers instead.

“The show has a long tradition, with competitiors enjoying sense of professional pride.” he says. “It’s a wonderful place to see horses well-groomed, decorated with traditional horse brasses but also the latest farming machinery, and lots of other country fair attractions in a traditional, rural setting... we’re all really proud of the show!”

The Flintham and District Ploughing Show takes place at Hawksworth, Flintham, on Thursday 23rd September, from 8am with the National Ploughing Championships taking place on 9th and 10th October at Grande De Lings. Tickets are £7.50/ea. For more information call 07773 011468 or see www.flinthamploughingmatch.co.uk. For more information on Lincolnshire Farming, pick up a copy of the latest edition of Lincolnshire Pride Magazine.