Vintage Horticultural and Garden Machinery Club

The system used by The Society of Ploughmen for judging our type of work was first adapted from horse-ploughing rules twenty years ago. It is useful for a competitor to know how the points are awarded so that he can fine-tune areas that he may be weak on, whilst not concentrating too hard on his stronger points.
This is the method of scoring used at the National Ploughing Championships and it’s qualifying rounds; most of the local ploughing matches will follow this system, but occasionally you will find departures from this system.

JUDGES METHOD OF SCORING –  HORTICULTURAL PLOUGHS

 

OPENING ……………………………………………………….  20

Well cut, uniform and straight

START (6 furrows) ……………………………………………… 20

Uniform and level

SEED BED …………………….……………………………….   20

Weed control and soil made available

FIRMNESS ……………………………………………………..   20

Firm, well packed furrows, no holes

UNIFORMITY …………………….…………………………….   20

Clearly defined uniform furrows and no pairing of furrows

FINISH ……………………………….…………….……………   20

Uniform and shallow

INS AND OUTS …………………..……………………………   20

Neat, accurate and regular

STRAIGHTNESS…………………..………….………………… 20

Straightness of the whole plot

GENERAL APPEARANCE …………………….…………….   20

Workmanship and general appearance of the whole plot

 

 

 

FIXED PENALTY DEDUCTIONS

 

Finish wrong way ……………………..……..…… 20 points penalty

Depth infringement ………………………..…….. 20 points per cm less than specified depth

Rolling …………………………………………….   20 points penalty

Failure to finish opening on time ……………..…. 2 points per minute or part minute over time

Failure to finish plot by finishing signal …….…   10 points per minute or part minute over time

Abuse of officials or fellow competitors ……….   20 points penalty

Failure to adhere to the Safety Policy …….……. Disqualification

 

Any other penalty deduction will be decided by the Executive Committee of the Society of Ploughmen