The 36th European Ploughing Championships will take place in Springpark, Ballinaboola, Co Wexford, making it the place to be on March 30th & 31st. With 33 competitors and over 200 European visitors between competitors, judges, coaches and supporters descending on Ireland there will be a truly international flavour. With teams starting to arrive from 22nd from 13 countries; Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Russia, Scotland, Switzerland and Wales, the competition will be very keen.
The NPA last hosted the European Event in 2011 but this will be a first for NPA to host the competition as a stand-alone event and the first time NPA have introduced a Conventional Class as well as the traditional European Reversible.
Team Ireland will be represented by previous World Ploughing Champion Martin Kehoe from Wexford in the conventional class, European Grassland Champion Russia 2018 Dan Donnelly from Wexford and former European Medal Winner Brian Mahon from Offaly. The team will be coached by Dermot Ryan from Offaly and the Irish judges will be Pat McKeown from Louth and Joe Slattery from Tipperary.
The members of the 6 Wexford Ploughing Clubs are heavily involved in the organising of the event, marking out plots, organising tractors and ploughs for visiting competitors, arranging parking and providing a number of stewards on the 2 days.
This will be a real ploughing enthusiast event with the focus on Ploughing – with a ploughing workshop on the eve of the event and then the focus turning to the 2 European Competitions on Saturday and Sunday with a small vintage exhibition as well as Horse and Vintage Ploughing demonstrations. There will also be a carnival and live music to entertain all of the family.
The Championships will commence on Saturday March 30th with a parade of all competitors representing their countries to the official opening complete with the Raising of the Flags Ceremony & Blessing of the Grounds at 9.30am, the competition will take place from 11.30am to 3.30pm on both days concluding on Sunday March 31st. This is a great opportunity for Ireland and certainly an occasion that is not be missed.