0:00:02 > 0:00:06Across the country, thousands of farming families work tirelessly
0:00:06 > 0:00:09- around the clock. - Bring them up, Isabel.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Well done.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14- Here they come! - Shake it, baby, shake it!
0:00:14 > 0:00:16But there's one day each year...
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Go on, girl. Up you go.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21..where they get to leave the daily routine behind.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22Woohoo!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24These are show days...
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Welcome to the Bedfordshire County show.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30- ..when they come together as a community...- Salute!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33..to showcase the fruits of their labour...
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Had a quick look at the competition. I'm in with a chance!
0:00:35 > 0:00:39..and try to win prizes for their breed champions...
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Well done. Wayhey!
0:00:42 > 0:00:44It's show business, folks!
0:00:44 > 0:00:47- ..and award-winning produce. - I got first!
0:00:48 > 0:00:51- You can have the last two jars! - There will be highs...
0:00:54 > 0:00:55..and lows...
0:00:55 > 0:00:57No, no, no!
0:00:57 > 0:01:02..for the dedicated farmers who give everything to walk away a champion.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04No way!
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Farm work is relentless,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and every day presents new challenges.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Despite this, when some farmers manage to get a few hours off...
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Steady, take your time.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30..they don't put their feet up and relax.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Instead, they indulge in a bygone tradition that puts them
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- back on the land.- Walk on.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Competitive horse ploughing.
0:01:38 > 0:01:4090% of ploughing is down to them.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42If they do as you tell them,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44you're well over halfway there, aren't you?
0:01:44 > 0:01:46- Yeah.- Good girl.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Farmers Paul and Heather Walsh
0:01:48 > 0:01:52and smallholders John McDermott and Martin Kerswell
0:01:52 > 0:01:54are getting ready to compete for the first time
0:01:54 > 0:01:58at the South Bucks ploughing match.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00You like that, don't you, eh? You like that?
0:02:02 > 0:02:05A win here would give them the chance to show their hard work
0:02:05 > 0:02:09- to the world...- Yeah, I got a thumbs-up, so that's all right.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12..and celebrate a heritage skill.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16We've got a bit of a straight line at last. There's hope yet!
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Good Lord.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Surrounded by leafy woodlands, the village of Northill
0:02:26 > 0:02:30in Bedfordshire is home to Paul and Heather Walsh.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33- Right, shall we put the hay nets up? - Yes, have you got the hay nets?
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- Yes.- Bit more in that one? - Top that one up, yeah.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Heather was brought up on this 400-year-old farm,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43where her family grew wheat and barley.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47I'm the fourth generation into the farm.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51My great-grandfather set it up, Samuel Vincent.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54And then my grandfather lived here and I used to come here as a child.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56I used to come sort of for weekends
0:02:56 > 0:02:58and have tea with my grandparents here.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01So we're very fortunate to be able to be here, really.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06For Paul, being a farmer was not originally on the cards.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10When I left school, I didn't know what I wanted to do.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14A job came up in a jeweller's. And I remember going to the interview
0:03:14 > 0:03:16and I was actually petrified and,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18anyway, the manager said, "You've got the job."
0:03:18 > 0:03:20And I was really surprised I'd got the job.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26With the job came a special encounter.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29At Christmas-time, we used to take on extra staff because
0:03:29 > 0:03:32that was our busiest time, at Christmas.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36And Heather was a student at that time, as a trainee teacher,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and she got the job and came and worked at the shop.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41She invited me to her 21st birthday party.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43So I took a mate cos I thought, well, you know,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46got a good meal and free booze and everything else.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49So I went along. But that evening, Heather and I got, well,
0:03:49 > 0:03:50we got together, really, didn't we?
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- We did indeed, yes.- And within six months, we were engaged.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Up you get. Put your feet up there.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02It wasn't long before Heather's dad
0:04:02 > 0:04:06decided that Paul should come and try life down on the farm.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08We'd wanted to have a family and we thought,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10there's no better place to bring up children.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13I mean, I loved my childhood in the countryside, yes.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Quite a change coming down here because the first six months,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19I was picking sprouts. And I thought, if I can stick this
0:04:19 > 0:04:21for six months, I can stick anything, you know!
0:04:21 > 0:04:22I was absolutely shattered!
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Being a jeweller, I was really a weakling.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28I had a job to have done this then.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31I have a job to do it now, to be honest!
0:04:31 > 0:04:33I have stuck at it and then we had children.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Oops!
0:04:35 > 0:04:36And here we are today, really.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Yes. So that's how we got to where we are now.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Come on, then. Out you come.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Paul has never looked back.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53I think that's the nice thing, I've seen both sides.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I've seen life outside farming.
0:04:56 > 0:04:57Got two views on life, really.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59The jewellery trade was good, but you only got up
0:04:59 > 0:05:01in the jewellery trade if you had a good week,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04you sold a lot, you know. That was your reward, really, by sales.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07But here it's your efforts in farming, really.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Paul and Heather mostly work their 150 acres alone.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17- Let me cut that, make it easier for you.- All right, do that, then.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19I couldn't do it without Heather.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20She obviously couldn't do it without me.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22We wouldn't be on the farm if it wasn't for you.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- That's right, yeah. - I like the way of life.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Unless you got a new bloke! You don't know.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I beg your pardon?
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Their 33-year-old son Philip had hoped to join them.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35I went into the farm for a couple of years,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and after a couple of years
0:05:37 > 0:05:39my yearly wage on the farm made it...
0:05:39 > 0:05:44How shall I say it, put the farm in financial difficulty for that year.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48So he said, you've got to really go back and go on your trade,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50go bricklaying. So I had to leave the farm.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52I'm just a bit gutted that I never got to go into the farm.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Just the way farming is.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57What you put in to what you get out is nothing.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00To be honest, I couldn't afford to employ anybody full-time,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02it's as simple as that. Come on.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Despite the hard work, when Paul DOES get some time out,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09he has a hobby that puts him back in the field.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Horse ploughing.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I enjoy being with the horses and ploughing with them.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16Steady.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18When you get a nice bit of land...
0:06:18 > 0:06:20..and the horses are going well,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- It's easy.- You can't describe it, it is just poetry in motion,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26it really is. Steady. Take your time.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28That's what I enjoy.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Take your time. Walk.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Walk.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Hard to imagine now, but it wasn't always like this.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39I couldn't stand horses initially.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44I like all animals, but I wouldn't say I was affectionate towards them.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48I just thought they were a dumb animal, really.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50- Oooh!- But they are very, very knowing.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52No, well, I did.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56In those days, it shows you how naive I was.
0:06:56 > 0:06:5925 years ago, everything changed
0:06:59 > 0:07:02because of a very special shire horse.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05A friend of mine had a shire horse and he came to the barn dance
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- and he wanted to sell it. - You fell in love with her,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09and said he wanted to buy her!
0:07:09 > 0:07:12We never seem to plan, things just seem to come our way.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- And April came our way, our first shire horse.- Mm.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Paul wanted to keep his purchase a surprise.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25It was Sunday morning and the children were out in the garden
0:07:25 > 0:07:28playing and they said, "Dad, Dad, there's a lorry turned in our drive!"
0:07:28 > 0:07:30I said, "Yeah, I've got some more sheep."
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Anyway, this lorry came in the yard and they stood there looking,
0:07:33 > 0:07:34waiting for the sheep to come off.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37And instead, there stood this great big shire horse.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Yeah, and they were just over the moon.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Oh, they couldn't believe it. They couldn't believe it.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47- They were just jumping up and down, weren't they?- Bethany, you can see she's beaming from ear to ear.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- A horse!- Her own horse.- Yeah.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53- Happy memories, eh?- Yeah, yeah.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57I never dreamt when I left school that I'd end up on a farm and end up
0:07:57 > 0:07:59owning shire horses and ploughing with them.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- Just goes to show where your future can, you know, change and move to, really.- Yeah.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08- That's a nice wagon. - Yeah, it was.- Mmm.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24120 miles away, in the south of England, is the New Forest.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31It's here in the village of Breamore that John McDermott and his family
0:08:31 > 0:08:33have their smallholding.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Morning, girls and boys.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39Are you still eating?
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- She's always eating!- Yeah!
0:08:42 > 0:08:44They're always eating.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46I was born on this farm.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51My father worked here after he came over from Ireland in the '40s.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54He worked on this farm for...I think it was 52 years.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59When I was a boy, there were ten people worked on this farm,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01there was ten cottages here.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Now there's none, because it's share farmed with the farmer next door.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09So we were lucky enough to buy the cottage up here when we got married,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11and been here since.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14John wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I wanted to work on the farm but Mum wouldn't let me.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Hello, Rain, you're a bit grubby.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25She said no, it's a bit of a dead-end job.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Managed to lie down in the muck!
0:09:27 > 0:09:30So I was a carpenter for years when I left school.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33And then was made redundant one winter
0:09:33 > 0:09:36because it was a bad winter and their work went down.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39And since then, really, I've been driving a lorry.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46Over two decades, John has built up a successful business transporting
0:09:46 > 0:09:48timber from the woods to the merchants.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52When his son-in-law Martin came along,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54he happily took him into the business.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Got married to Claire and moved up here and...slowly taken on
0:09:59 > 0:10:02the timber business, which I'm very honoured to be able to do.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- Are these two clean? - Of course they are!
0:10:04 > 0:10:08- They always look clean, because they're black!- Yeah.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11So hopefully that'll be what I do for quite a while.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- Hopefully.- Hopefully the rest of my life, probably!
0:10:15 > 0:10:19All he had to really do was pick up using the crane and the different
0:10:19 > 0:10:22types of timber. But he's getting there.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Yeah, I'm getting there slowly.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- Not too many mess-ups, have we? - No, not yet.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Renting ten acres of farmland gives John plenty of space
0:10:40 > 0:10:42to keep his nine heavy horses.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46We'll just go and check and make sure the rest of them are OK.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49A passion he shares with his son-in-law.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53On a nice morning like this, we take a pair of horses
0:10:53 > 0:10:56and exercise them and just for a pleasure drive, really.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58There's two of them, anyway.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- No, there's three there.- Oh, yeah!
0:11:00 > 0:11:01Yeah, one's hiding.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05There is a lot of work into the horses.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08I wouldn't like to try and account for all the time we put
0:11:08 > 0:11:11into the horses because it would probably be quite scary.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Blimey, Vitamin, you made a mess in here!
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Sometimes when it's a cold, wet, horrible morning
0:11:17 > 0:11:20and you've got to come over and do the mucking out and things,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23you think, well, why have I got these horses?!
0:11:25 > 0:11:31We've had our own horses now for probably...15 years, I suppose.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35And it's nice that Claire and Martin are interested,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37so they can carry on, hopefully.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Come on, girls.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Hello, girls.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50John and Martin have an emotional connection with their horses.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Good girls. They usually come up to the gate when you come out.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56- They look all right.- Yes.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57Plenty of grass.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Most heavy horses are bred to work, so they do like to work.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05But now they're going to stand down there and...
0:12:05 > 0:12:07don't know what the heck's going on!
0:12:19 > 0:12:21I think we work together quite well.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- Yeah.- Don't often disagree.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26As I say, we work to keep the horses.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31- Yeah.- Training and keeping heavy horses for ploughing competitions
0:12:31 > 0:12:32is an expensive hobby.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38It's just as well the rest of the family is on board with it.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43It's not a cheap occupation.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45So if the whole family are doing it, well,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48you're all spending money in the same direction, aren't you?
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Which otherwise, you know, I suppose that could cause friction.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Come on. Chook-chook-chooks.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00You're being very antisocial! It's definitely a whole family thing.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02If we didn't all go, then some of you get left behind
0:13:02 > 0:13:06and then you don't see each other and it all gets a bit...
0:13:06 > 0:13:07..yeah, a bit fraught.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13Standing in a field in all weathers watching their husbands plough
0:13:13 > 0:13:16might not be everyone's idea of a good time,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19but Rowena and Claire seem committed.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22We tolerate ploughing, don't we?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24You couldn't do it on your own.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25Well, not without having to pay grooms.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29- I mean, we're unpaid grooms, aren't we, really?- Yes.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32We go and be good people and support them in their ploughing!
0:13:33 > 0:13:35- Sort of.- Sort of!
0:13:47 > 0:13:50120 miles north, in Bedfordshire...
0:13:50 > 0:13:54- Hi, Cyril.- ..Heather is checking in with some clients.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- How did it go on Saturday? - Yeah, a busy day.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58But, yes, it was good.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03To make ends meet, Paul and Heather have set up
0:14:03 > 0:14:07a livery yard with 20 stables that other horse owners can hire.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09If we didn't have the liveries,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I don't know whether we'd still be here, to be honest,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15because farming itself, the inputs to the crop are so,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18you know, expensive and you're lucky, you know, to break even,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22make a profit. It's not a huge acreage, so it is very difficult.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25So we're very fortunate to have the liveries because that really has
0:14:25 > 0:14:28helped us no end. So I hope we look after you.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32I've yet to know a horse come here that isn't relaxed about being here.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35It generally stems from whoever runs or owns the place.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Paul and Heather's passion for horses also provides
0:14:43 > 0:14:45additional income in other ways.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Let's get these sheets out. We do two or three weddings a year.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52We don't advertise, we don't do it as a business,
0:14:52 > 0:14:53but it helps pay for the horses.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59This is what the bride sits on when we go along to the church.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01This is the last wedding we did on Saturday,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03so this wagon can be put away now in the barn.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Easier said than done.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Paul and Heather seem to be running out of space.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Oh, we've just got that one, the blue one.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Paul's not even sure how many wagons he has.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Come on. I'm going to let you count them.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21One, two, three, four, five.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24How many have we got up there?
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Six, seven, eight, nine.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27Nine, yeah, nine.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- Hmm, nine!- Yeah.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32You say you've got that number, but you've actually got another one
0:15:32 > 0:15:35because you're committed to another one, aren't you?
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- Yeah, I haven't picked it up yet. - No, this is the great problem.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40When he goes to a sale, I've always fear and trepidation what he's going
0:15:40 > 0:15:42to come back with. Oh, my goodness,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45I'm beginning to wonder where we're going to put them all, really!
0:15:45 > 0:15:47He seems to be accumulating them!
0:15:47 > 0:15:50We're going into double figures, which is a little worrying.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51Yeah.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54But Heather didn't mind having the wagons
0:15:54 > 0:15:56when a particular bride requested one.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59We did our daughter's wedding,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02which was tricky because I'd got to give her away but also,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04I wanted to do the wedding. I thought, I've done
0:16:04 > 0:16:07everybody else's weddings, I want to do my own daughter's wedding.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Yeah, it was nice, wasn't it?
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Just nice to think you've done your daughter's wedding.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12Yeah.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Wagons aren't the only thing Paul collects.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19There are his precious ploughs.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21These are my ploughs. Can't resist a plough either, really.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- No.- In fact, seven of them.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27The thing is with these, you don't come across them very often.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30You're only going to get a chance of buying them once, probably.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33With the ploughing competition in South Bucks only a day away,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37Paul needs to start thinking about his tactics.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39For Wednesday, the ploughing match,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42I shall use this YL and see how they get on with that.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44So that'll be my excuse if we do badly, really,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47- that I haven't used it before. - Hmm.- Yeah.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Come on.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53Good boys.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57I wouldn't say I am a good ploughman...
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Good boy, come on. I don't go out to win,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01that is probably a fault of mine.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02I never have gone out to win.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- There's a good boy.- Good boy.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Whatever I have done, I have never pushed myself to win,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I just do things because I enjoy doing it.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Right, come on, let's go and give you a groom.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13Good boy. Come on. Here.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17- Come on.- First things first, the team needs to be clean.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21We groom together, bring them up, give them a groom every so often.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Good boy, Monty. Good boy.
0:17:24 > 0:17:25When we are doing an event,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Paul usually baths them while I am finishing off the tack.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31There is a lot of work involved.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34As long as you treat them right, and you get their confidence,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37they become your mates. And that is how you have got to treat them.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38I talk to them all the time.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40I talk to them like an old dog, and they are listening.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Grooming builds their all-important bond.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Now, when I first had him, you couldn't do this.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50If you went like that, down his side, he would jump, he'd flinch,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52so he has obviously been ill-treated, but...
0:17:52 > 0:17:56He trusts... well, I hope he trusts us now. You can't make a horse do anything.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58If you don't, you know, like they say, if you take a horse to water,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00you can't make it drink, and it is true.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03It is very rewarding, really, when they do, and they respond to you.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05It's a job to describe it, really.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11There is a special tool to finish up the grooming.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Well, we have seen it done at shows.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15You know, people who go to shows
0:18:15 > 0:18:16have a little generator in their lorry.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19They all carry a hoover and I thought, "Oh, that's a good idea."
0:18:19 > 0:18:22You like that, don't you? Eh? You like that?
0:18:23 > 0:18:27If a hoover is not enough, you can always count on a bit of bling.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31I usually take responsibility for the brasses.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Ploughmen always used to like to dress the horses up,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35showed pride in their animals,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37and they obviously liked to make sure
0:18:37 > 0:18:39they were clean when they went out.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Presenting the horses well and getting the brasses looking nice
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and clean is very important from the actual aesthetic point of view,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47but also, as you are cleaning tack,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50you are obviously going to take apart the bridle and some
0:18:50 > 0:18:53of the breeching and you are sort of doing an inspection of the safety
0:18:53 > 0:18:55of the harness at the same time,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57so if anything is looking worn, you should find that out.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09All spruced up, it's time to fit the harnesses,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11which sounds much easier than it is.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Hang on a minute. Don't put it on his back yet until I get this on.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16OK, now you can do it. Thank you.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21Since beginner Logie and veteran Monty are very different sizes,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23fit is key.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Doesn't seem right. Oh, yes, it's going to come down, that's why.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- OK.- Yeah, that's all right.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30I think so.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- Yeah, I've got it. - Try and keep it...
0:19:32 > 0:19:34As you get it off now, it will go on easier.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Steady, it's my fault. All right, Logie.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38- Good boy.- Got the wrong set on.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Oh, dear.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Horse-wise, I don't often have time to prepare.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46It's literally just taking them out the field, giving them a quick wash,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48putting them on the lorry and then off we go.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52That's better. Yeah, I've got the wrong set, so...
0:19:52 > 0:19:54A lot of people would have time to practise or take them
0:19:54 > 0:19:57at least once a week, twice a week. Most weekends I'm working.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Label it, so I know.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Oh, yes.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Down in Hampshire, it is business before pleasure.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18I am just splitting up some firewood, ready for the winter.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Just a fill-in job, because the lorry is away today.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26John and Martin still have work to do before they can prepare for the
0:20:26 > 0:20:27ploughing match.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33I started running down to retirement several years ago.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Because driving these days is quite hard, it is quite tiring,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42but I am still doing the paperwork and I have still got the telephone,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45that I answer the phone and take on the jobs.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49He's trying to slow down but it is not working so well at the moment.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I don't know quite how I managed when I was driving,
0:20:53 > 0:20:54as well as doing the paperwork.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Yeah, it is very important to me to be always around the family.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09We've always grew up on our family farm at home and we were always out,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12working together and doing everything together, really.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16I wouldn't like to be any other way, to be honest.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22The farm I grew up on, it's not an overly big farm,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24but it wasn't big enough to support all of us.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29So we all sort of went our separate ways and they still farm it at home.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31But I am obviously not there any more, so...
0:21:35 > 0:21:39In the farm's workshop, Martin's wife Claire is also hard at work.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Claire trained as a harness maker.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47It's a job to compete with the stuff coming in from abroad,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51so Claire has sort of evolved into doing a lot of repairs.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Yes, I get a lot of family requests.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55It is a very niche thing to do.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57There aren't many harness makers in the country.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59We are a fairly rare breed.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Obviously if you want to make it a mass production thing
0:22:02 > 0:22:06then stitching by machine is a lot quicker,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08but I prefer to stitch by hand.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13I would say it was very inevitable I'd marry a horseman.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19Being that we are so involved in horses, I think it would...
0:22:19 > 0:22:20I don't think it would work.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25The next generation of horse lovers is on the way,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28as Claire is expecting their first child.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33I think my baby is going to have to be horsey, to be honest.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38- Hello, boys.- I am not sure she is going to have much option in this.
0:22:38 > 0:22:39Good boy.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Particularly if Martin has anything to do with it,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45then it will be a ploughing person as well.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48I did ask if she could grow up a little bit first.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50He said by the time she was seven...
0:22:50 > 0:22:52I think that might be a little young.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57There you go, boys. That looks better, doesn't it?
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Girls, walk on.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07Martin and John are both really keen to pass their ploughing tricks
0:23:07 > 0:23:09down the line.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11We will go up and put them on the plough for
0:23:11 > 0:23:16a couple of turns, just to settle them down, get them used to it.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Steady, steady.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23To pass things on to the next generation of horsemen, women,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25is what we like to do.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26Come here.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Ploughing is a skill, and it is a skill you have to learn.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Giddy up. Vitamin... Whoa.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38We try and help other people, but when sort of John came into it,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42there was all the older people that had actually worked with horses,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44and a lot of them, they wouldn't pass it on.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48And now if we don't pass it on, it is going to die out.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54One of the best ways to keep the tradition alive is taking part in
0:23:54 > 0:23:57ploughing matches like the one in South Bucks,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00where John and Martin are heading tomorrow.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03This is my pair that I will be ploughing with tomorrow.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07I like to put them on and get them just back in the sort of ploughing
0:24:07 > 0:24:11mode, and it just gets them back into thinking,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13"Oh, that is what we have got to do," so it is generally worth
0:24:13 > 0:24:16the exercise.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17Girls, walk on.
0:24:17 > 0:24:2090% of ploughing is down to them.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25If they go right and steady and do as you tell them,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27you are well over halfway there, aren't you?
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- Yeah.- There's a good girl.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Steady.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36There will be no shortage of rivalry in South Bucks.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39One part of doing a ploughing match is to try and win.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Whoa. I am going to try and beat Martin,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46and Martin is going to try and win as well.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49If it wasn't so competitive, no-one would get better.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Yeah, I got to the stage when I was just going ploughing
0:24:52 > 0:24:54and that was it, but since Martin has come and started...
0:24:54 > 0:24:58- Given him a kick.- And I plough next to him and he is sort of doing a bit
0:24:58 > 0:25:01better, I sort of think, well, perhaps I should do a bit better...
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- Yeah.- ..to try and not make him look, made me look so silly.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06If he beats me tomorrow, I won't say, well,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09"I am not going to give you a ride home, you have got to stay there."
0:25:09 > 0:25:11We'll still come home and discuss
0:25:11 > 0:25:13that the judges probably weren't right.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Mind your bum.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26- Good boy.- Time to get the horses on board.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29The South Bucks ploughing match awaits.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32- Good boy. Come on. - I know you're bored,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34but you'll just have to wait a minute.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37John and Martin, and Paul and Heather have competed
0:25:37 > 0:25:41- against each other before. - Come on, Vitamin.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Come on, boys.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48For all of them, it will be their first time
0:25:48 > 0:25:51at the prestigious contest in Buckinghamshire.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- Good boy. Stay there.- Mind your nose.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00See you in a bit, boys.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- Have we got everything, then? - Yeah, I think we have.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26In the village of Frieth,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30more than 450 local farmers are beginning to gather.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35This is the Royals South Bucks Agricultural Association's
0:26:35 > 0:26:37ploughing match.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42It's been held every year in this area since 1833,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45except during the First and Second World Wars.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49For the last two decades,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51only machines have ploughed against each other,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54but today the excitement is building.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58The old tradition of horse ploughing is about to be reinstated.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Nice to have farmers all in one place,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12down tools after a busy harvest and come and have
0:27:12 > 0:27:14a bit of a social and a get-together.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22It is 7:30 in the morning, and John isn't leaving anything to chance.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25He and Rowena are up early to prepare, as is Martin.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31- Good lad. Stand there.- A former European ploughing champion,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Martin is at the top of his game with a reputation to defend.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39John sees today as a great opportunity
0:27:39 > 0:27:44to beat his talented son-in-law and show he has still got it.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47We came up last night, just because of how far away we are.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49The horses travel well. They're used to it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51They have travelled all over the place.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Today, it's an excellent turnout.
0:27:59 > 0:28:05There are four teams of horses competing, as well as 30 tractors.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08While they all wait to be assigned a plot to plough,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11John does a bit of ground reconnaissance.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17Any information gathered now could be vital in winning the match.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- It is a bit stony. There's a couple...- That's a fair-sized one.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21There is another big stone.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23When the plough hits them, it tends to make them jump.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26- Yeah.- So it can be quite exciting if you're on the other end.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34My chances today are as good as anybody else's, I suppose.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36- Yeah.- It can depend very much on how your horses are behaving,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39because obviously it's not just the ground and the plough
0:28:39 > 0:28:41and the man on the end - it's this lot.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Morning, everyone. Welcome to the ploughing association match.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52- Morning.- Ploughing starts at nine o'clock sharp.
0:28:52 > 0:28:57Each competitor has three hours to plough a 375 square-metre plot.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59John McDermott, 41.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03- Thank you very much. - Martin Kerswell, 42.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07- Thank you.- Plots assigned, 15 minutes to go,
0:29:07 > 0:29:09but still no sign of Paul and Heather.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Paul Walsh, number 40.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Not quite here. He's not here yet.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Ploughing competitions are not about speed,
0:29:23 > 0:29:27but today there is a strict deadline to adhere to.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30We are the only society that puts on a hot lunch with so many numbers of
0:29:30 > 0:29:33people sitting down, so that is a big thing for us,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35so everybody has to be finished.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37So there will be a lot of fast ploughing going on out there,
0:29:37 > 0:29:39once we do get going.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47With a delicious lunch less than four hours away,
0:29:47 > 0:29:48there's no time to waste.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53First thing to do, mark out your plot.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Everyone is raring to go,
0:30:00 > 0:30:04but there is a tradition that needs to be honoured first.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08O Lord, our God, our great provider,
0:30:08 > 0:30:10maker of both horse and rider,
0:30:10 > 0:30:12bless these beasts...
0:30:12 > 0:30:14At this year's show,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18the ritual blessing of the ploughing match has also made a comeback.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23And when they have done their best, give them comfort, peace and rest.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Through Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28- Amen.- Amen.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Just as they are ready to roll,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Paul and Heather finally make an appearance.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Here is Paul Walsh here.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40He is very local and he's last to get here.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Come on, then. Down you come. Steady. Take your time.
0:30:43 > 0:30:44Just take your time. Come on.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48Hopefully he'll get on with it a bit quicker and catch up with us.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Always worried about going to new venues.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53You know, especially little places like this tucked away in the
0:30:53 > 0:30:57countryside. You make a mistake with a lorry and a trailer, you know,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59it is not always easy to turn round,
0:30:59 > 0:31:01but we are here now, so that's good.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08Off they go. Three hours and 375 square metres to plough,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12and the former champion looks determined.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21It's not long before John and Martin complete their first furrows.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24The furrow up across the field is always a crucial one.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27If you can get it straight, it makes you feel
0:31:27 > 0:31:29as though you are doing better.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Got a little bit of a wiggle in it, but nothing too bad.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34We'll be able to sort that out in a minute.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40The judge is following every move.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43I judge all aspects of ploughing.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47I've been doing that for about 23 years now.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52Judge Stephens is looking for various skills today,
0:31:52 > 0:31:57each worth 20 points, including straightness and general appearance.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02In a good ploughman, I expect to see when he first starts ploughing to
0:32:02 > 0:32:04actually read the soil,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07because it helps with his settings on his plough.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14Greeting John gives Paul the perfect excuse to check out the ground.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19- Could put more moisture down there, actually.- Yeah, I think
0:32:19 > 0:32:21it'll come up a little bit slightly.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27Despite owning seven ploughs,
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Paul's worried he may have brought the wrong one today.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33A little bit concerned it is not heavy enough for today
0:32:33 > 0:32:36because you need the weight to get it in the ground.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39He'll have to think quickly to find a solution.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43Put a weight on there, or... It might be a hindrance.
0:32:43 > 0:32:44I hope it isn't, but we'll see.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50Step up.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53- Come on.- Finally, half an hour after everybody else,
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Paul and Heather set off.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57Come out of it.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07This is where you can lose or win a match in the opening.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09You get high points on your opening.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18- Go on, then. Go on.- Yes, yes.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Steady. Steady.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Steady, Logie, steady.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27It's that all-important first furrow,
0:33:27 > 0:33:29but things are not going to plan.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33- We've taken the wrong line. - Have you taken the wrong line?
0:33:33 > 0:33:35- Yes.- How did you do that?
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Time for a new strategy.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41I'm going to put Heather on the handles.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45- That's it.- A few feet away on the other team,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47Rowena is also helping out.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50I am the safety officer, really. You have two brains here
0:33:50 > 0:33:52that are not necessarily on the same wavelength
0:33:52 > 0:33:54as the ploughman, and if they don't want to stand still
0:33:54 > 0:33:57then somebody has basically got to hold on to them
0:33:57 > 0:34:00and make sure they do while they're doing adjustments.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04There's lots of stop-start in ploughing and that gives Rowena
0:34:04 > 0:34:06the chance to chat with the girls.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09She is a show horse. She says, "This is really beneath me," you know.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11"I should be looking beautiful."
0:34:11 > 0:34:15You look beautiful, dear, but you just have to put up with a plough.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17I have to, you have to.
0:34:19 > 0:34:20That's life.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29The judges want the ploughed soil to be compact and free of rubbish.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35There are a few stones in it.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37I had a brick just now.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43According to some rules, you are not allowed to handle the plot,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46but it is very tempting if you have a bit of rubbish stuck up
0:34:46 > 0:34:50or if by just kicking it a bit you can make it all look a bit tidier.
0:34:50 > 0:34:51People do it, yes,
0:34:51 > 0:34:53but they call it gardening.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Martin has been ploughing with ease
0:34:55 > 0:34:58but even a champion needs to check his work.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01The ground in places is a bit challenging.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06He just goes along and anything that is slightly out of line,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08you just have to push it back with our feet.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11They don't call it gardening if they use their feet.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14It's only if they use their hands they're gardening, apparently.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Come to your left a bit, bring it out.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22On Paul and Heather's plot, things are still challenging.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24- Not yet, we are not at the market. - Oh, sorry.- It is not easy
0:35:24 > 0:35:26on Heather, which I appreciate,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28but she is doing all right, she is doing well
0:35:28 > 0:35:31and I'm glad I've got to go on the handles because it gives me
0:35:31 > 0:35:33a chance just to control the horse a bit.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36The judges might have spotted the problem.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40- Steady, Logie! - Not a very even speed.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42He keeps pushing them over, doesn't he?
0:35:45 > 0:35:47I don't know whether having two different sized horses makes
0:35:47 > 0:35:51the difference. I'll make Logie realise he doesn't have to do it all
0:35:51 > 0:35:53himself, you know, there is Monty there and they have to work as
0:35:53 > 0:35:56a team and not just on his own. Right, we'll have another go, then.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58All right, Heather?
0:35:59 > 0:36:00Stand still.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Stand.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05- Stand.- Wait, wait!
0:36:05 > 0:36:06Stand!
0:36:06 > 0:36:09He heard them say "walk on".
0:36:09 > 0:36:12Stand still! Stand!
0:36:12 > 0:36:15- Whoa!- I'm in now. Oh, God.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17Whoa!
0:36:17 > 0:36:19He heard John say "walk on".
0:36:19 > 0:36:21Yeah, he heard you say...
0:36:21 > 0:36:23It's OK.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28- Good boy. - Paul finally gets on top of things.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Things can change between the start and the finish.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36He will probably improve his marks later on.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Keep it up, good boys.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41Yeah, it's ploughing a lot better now.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44That looks a lot better. Look at that.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46We have a bit of a straight line at last.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48There's hope yet!
0:36:48 > 0:36:50We are making a decent job
0:36:50 > 0:36:53compared to how we started. We had a bad start.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58Those three are far better than me, but they do a lot more of it.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I am just proud to be here amongst them, really, and be part of it.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06Watching the ploughing competition today
0:37:06 > 0:37:08is a Royal South Bucks veteran.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13I'm really too old for the job, but they have roped me in, you see.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18In the last 62 years, there has been an absolute sea change
0:37:18 > 0:37:22in the whole structure of farming.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Because the farms have got so much bigger,
0:37:25 > 0:37:29that means farmers no longer have many farming neighbours
0:37:29 > 0:37:34and then it's really nice to have a big event of this sort,
0:37:34 > 0:37:39where all of the different farmers from South Bucks all meet together.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Today's event has been no small feat for the organisers.
0:37:43 > 0:37:49In a few minutes, there's going to be a sit-down lunch, in a field,
0:37:49 > 0:37:54in a tent, for 460, for a hot three-course meal,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56prepared without a kitchen.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Now, that's quite good going, isn't it?
0:38:02 > 0:38:07But no-one is allowed to eat until the ploughing match is over.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17After a late start, Paul and Heather are the first ones to finish.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21Good boy. Aren't you? Hey?
0:38:21 > 0:38:23- Good lad.- A good experience for everybody.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26It will be nice to sit down. Although I do like doing it.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30If I don't have a go, I feel cheated.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37The other contestants can't quite relax just yet.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45After nearly four hours, John has finally finished.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48It's not just what it looks like from either end,
0:38:48 > 0:38:50it's what it looks like when they go across it,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53because it has to be firm enough, but not too firm.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55It's all quite complicated and complex.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59So we'll just have to see what the judge thinks, really.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Hopefully it will be OK.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08John won't leave the field because his son-in-law, Martin,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10is not quite there.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12I don't want to upset his chances by taking the horses away.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Because they live together now,
0:39:14 > 0:39:17if you take one lot away, the other lot think,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19"Oh, they've gone, why can't I?"
0:39:20 > 0:39:22And it's over.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Martin has finished at last.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31I'm quite happy. It's all down to the judges now.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Most importantly, he's got
0:39:33 > 0:39:36the seal of approval from his wife.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38Yeah. I've got a thumbs-up, so that's all right.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43It's been a tough morning, and no-one knows the outcome yet.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46I think we'll all sleep well tonight.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Horses AND us, I think.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Everyone has worked up an appetite.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Time for a well-earned reward.
0:39:58 > 0:40:04May I welcome everybody here for the 173rd ploughing match and luncheon.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06This lunch is an important highlight
0:40:06 > 0:40:08of the local farming calendar.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12In the 1950s, they hosted 100 farmers.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Today, it's closer to 500.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19Back in the '50s, the ploughmen had to stand outside the tent
0:40:19 > 0:40:22and we used to pass the cups through the back of the tent.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24The ploughmen now come and eat with us.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Waiting for the verdict can be nerve-racking.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31But, for now, it's time for the horsemen to put the competition
0:40:31 > 0:40:33out of mind and enjoy the feast.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35Much better than we normally get,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38a little bag in the middle of the field,
0:40:38 > 0:40:39a few sandwiches.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Couldn't wish for nothing better, really.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46A very special occasion, really. It's lovely the way they do it.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- Very nice indeed.- As long as they keep it going. You need to keep
0:40:49 > 0:40:50these type of occasions going, really.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Ben Connell.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59During lunch, the prize-giving begins.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04The winner this year, the Connell Partnership.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13It's now Robert's joy to fill it with bubbly
0:41:13 > 0:41:18and you all are then asked to drink his health from that cup.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24- This is really nice. - It is very nice.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25Very smooth. Very nice.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Slipping down a treat, it is!
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Especially after all that walking up and down.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36At last, the results are about to be announced.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Our next award is going to be to the ploughmen.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45Martin is dying to know if he's beaten his father-in-law.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47And in first place...
0:41:53 > 0:41:55..Martin Kerswell.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10John is not going home empty-handed.
0:42:10 > 0:42:15He and Rowena win the first prize for the best turned-out horses.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20That's a nice trophy, John, isn't it?
0:42:20 > 0:42:22- Lovely cup, isn't it?- Very nice.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- Brilliant, John. - More polishing.- Well done.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Well done, that's good.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39The Royal South Bucks Agricultural Association Show is coming to an end
0:42:39 > 0:42:41for another year.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46- There's a good lad.- Time for our farmers to stand back and reflect.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- We had a good day.- Very nice.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53- A lovely agricultural show. - We'd come back again. Certainly.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- Yeah. We both had a fun day, I think.- Yeah.
0:42:59 > 0:43:00I'm very pleased with the results.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Obviously I always try to come first if I can.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05John always tries to make sure I don't!