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WALK THE LINE
Scoring all over the field: Irish ploughing experts share their tricks of the trade
350 competitors made the trek to Offaly this week. Why do they return each year?
THE NATIONAL PLOUGHING Championships is about a lot more than just ploughing these days. Once again, hundreds of thousands of people made the journey to the sprawling site in Co Offaly this week – to check out new inventions, to attend cooking demos, or even just to catch up with old friends.
But the competitive ploughing remains a major draw too – over 350 competitors showcased their skills at Screggan to either defend their title or to challenge a long-standing champion.
What keeps them coming back each September? “It’s lovely to have the horses working and it’s lovely to go out into a field on a day working your horses,” Kerry’s Moss Trant told us.
“I know it is not an efficient way anymore unfortunately … but animals are great and kind things to work with you know? And we have great respect for our animals.”
- Video by Andrew Roberts
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