YOU don ’ t generally expect champion ploughmen to come from farms over 1000 feet above sea level , firstly because when you ’ re that high up there is usually relatively little to plough and secondly because what there is , often isn ’ t worth ploughing .

Step up the Fretwells of Mossley House Farm looking down on Penistone . They have been ploughing up here for many years and Carl Fretwell who farms alongside his brother Steven has matchploughed at the highest level , just as his dad Geoff did before him .

Sadly , Geoff passed away in 2020 at around the same time as another top level match ploughman and good friend Michael Watkins also passed and in March this year Carl and Michael ’ s son Stephen held a Memorial Ploughing Match in memory of both fathers .

‘ Dad was British Champion in 1999 and represented England in the World Style Conventional class in Lincolnshire ,’ says Carl . ‘ Michael ploughed in the Vintage Trailed class and represented England on numerous occasions at European level .’

‘ They were close friends and we decided to raise money for their respective chosen charities . Michael was a keen supporter of Cancer Research UK and dad was Air Ambulance .’

© Paul Gregory Photography

‘ We never expected it to take off as well as it did . We held it on 5-6

March this year . On the day at Austerfield , near Robin Hood Airport , we had 130 ploughmen competing . David Chappell of the Society of Ploughmen ran a second day on the Sunday after the Memorial Match on the Saturday and over the two days the proceeds from

both raised £ 6152 which was split evenly between the two charities .’

‘ It was a tremendous event and we had ploughmen from as far as the Isle of Man , Scotland Devon and Norfolk .’

It also signalled the start of a new generation of ploughmen too as both Carl ’ s 13-year old son Thomas and Stephen Watkins ’ son Sam took part in a ploughing match for their first time .

‘ They both ploughed in the Grey Fergie class using a Fergie 20 and a Fergie plough that was both my dad ’ s and Stephen ’ s dad ’ s first outfits when they started match ploughing . Thomas did really well , finishing fourth in what was an open novice class .’

‘ We ’ ve known each other for years – the Fretwell and Watkins families . TE Watkins & Sons are very well known agricultural contractors and Philip Watkins , Stephen ’ s brother runs the machinery side .’

Carl has had his own share of match ploughing success .

‘ Once you ’ re bitten by the match ploughing bug it ’ s very hard to shake it off . I started early and used to plough

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