Eamonn Tracey has just returned from the World Ploughing Contest in Bordeaux, where he won the world conventional ploughing title against some stiff competition. Fellow Irish ploughman John Whelan won a bronze medal for third place in the world reversible class. This was a remarkable achievement for both farmers, who are from the southeast of the country in neighbouring Carlow and Wexford.
Eamonn Tracey has just returned from the World Ploughing Contest in Bordeaux, where he won the world conventional ploughing title against some stiff competition.
Fellow Irish ploughman John Whelan won a bronze medal for third place in the world reversible class. This was a remarkable achievement for both farmers, who are from the southeast of the country in neighbouring Carlow and Wexford.
Eamonn, clearly over the moon with his world title, has competed at world championship level a total of nine times. He comes with an impressive record, achieving a second place, two third positions and two fourth places before achieving this, his highest accolade in the fine art of competition ploughing.
Eamonn’s father, John Tracey, has also competed on the world stage a number of times. Despite having a back problem, John made it to France to see Eamonn compete and, ultimately, win his world title. The entire Tracey family travelled out, with the exception of Eamonn and Ailish’s son, David, who is in the US on the custom combine harvesting circuit.
Eamonn’s other son, Sean, looks to be following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. Sean has been competing since he was 13 and won his first all-Ireland title when he was 16. He also has four under-21 titles, so Eamonn may have to add a family member to the competition team. Youngest son Stephen, who is still in school is also expressing an interest in competition ploughing.
Like any competition at world level, there were lots of preparations to be made in the run-up to the big event. It is essential to get an opportunity to practise ploughing in conditions similar to what would be encountered in France.
Eamonn explained: “John Whelan and myself went out in May to look at the world site. It was only 20 minutes from the airport in Bordeaux. The soil was sandy and we planned to go out at the end of July to practise but we could not locate any barley or wheat stubble ground.”
John found a suitably sandy site for Ireland’s two international ploughmen to practise on – the farm of Nick Cullen, near Duncormick in south Wexford. With the support of the NPA and Nick, some barley ground – not yet ripe for harvesting – was cleared with a mower for the two men to practise.
“That was great preparation before we travelled. In France, the soil was an even finer sand and black in colour,” said Eamonn, “but we came prepared.”
The Irish team of the two ploughmen, as well as coach Patsy Condron, National Ploughing Association official Lenny Matthews and Anna May McHugh as the World Ploughing Association board member, all travelled to the site of the world event on Sunday 24 August. The ploughs and tractors left the Thursday before and arrived on site the day before the Irish team.
“We arrived at our hotel at 10pm on Sunday and the team left the hotel at 7am the next morning to travel to the world site to practise. We returned at 7pm after a long day spent practising. This was repeated right up to the Thursday night before the competition,” said Eamonn. “We wouldn’t even leave the field for lunch. Instead, someone would go down to the supermarket and bring us back a roll or something,” he added.
Eamonn’s impressive scope had won the overall world conventional ploughing competition, making him the latest World Conventional ploughing champion.
Aside from the Irish team there, Eamonn said that there was huge support for the Irish team. Both he and John Whelan were very appreciative of the 127 people who travelled over from Ireland to the event to support the Irish team.
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