CHAMPION ploughman Jim Elliott will be swapping real horse power for mechanical horse power for the very first time in this year’s Northern Counties Ploughing Association competition, which is taking place at Anick, near Hexham.

Jim, who first ploughed using heavy horses in the Northern Counties match in 1972, aged just 10, went on to be a five-times winner of the International Class at the World Ploughing Championships.

He has also won 44 British championships in the horse class and now gives demonstrations at ploughing matches, such as the Ferguson Rally at Peepy Farm, Stocksfield, earlier this month.

But at the age of 55, Jim, who lives with his wife at Home Farm, Beamish Open Air Museum, where he keeps the heritage of horse ploughing alive, has decided to give the tractor classes a go for the first time.

What’s more, the Ransomes plough he will be working with tomorrow used to belong to his late father, Frank Elliott, another respected ploughman and a founder director of the Society of Ploughmen.

“My father died 14 years ago and about two years ago, I bought some plough bodies for my father’s plough that belonged to one of his friends, the late Don Mason from Bardon Mill, who used to plough against him. So it will be a nice tribute to them both.

I don’t expect to win by any means, but I will give it a go.”

Reg Wilkinson, who organises the northern counties matches each year, said he remembered Jim’s first competition, which was held at Dilston Haugh.

“He was looked after by his mother because his father was in another match at the same event, ploughing with a tractor.”

Two years later, aged 12, Jim won that competition and hasn’t looked back since, becoming a familiar sight at the northern counties event with his seven-year-old Irish draft horse, Danny Boy, and his small Shire horse, Tom, 11.

They live at Beamish too and have become quite a visitor attraction.

Jim, who grew up on the family farm near Brampton, is understandably keen to keep traditional horse ploughing alive, though he admits: “Years ago there were a lot more horses about. It’s dying out quietly as there’s no money in it.

“If it was a televised sport, it might be different, but it takes a lot of money to get into it. Aside from the cost of the horses, it’s £100 every five to six weeks to shoe them and that’s why it’s far cheaper to get a little Fergie. Horses, you have to look after 24/7.”

The competition, which starts today and runs until Sunday, is swapping venue this year from Chipchase near Wark to a field at Beaufront Red House, Anick, courtesy of J.A. Cuthberts.

If you want to see how Jim gets on, he’ll be ploughing tomorrow on his Fordson Major tractor.

Sunday sees the vintage and classic classes, and whoever wins those will go forward to the British Championships next year.

For more information, contact association secretary Reg Wilkinson at wilkinsonreg@btinternet.com