Why is the ploughing on weekdays?

guylikeme

Honestly curious? Do they want to filter out the office workers?

Jim Bob Scratcher

Because the farmers like to roll in the hay on the weekends.

TheFarrier

You hardly expect the ploughmen to work on a weekend??

Jimmy.

Farmers too busy going to mass, downing pints of Guinness and riding their first cousin the weekend.

Cee-Jay-Cee

It’s to keep the civilised working people away.

dxhound2005

guylikeme wrote: »

Honestly curious? Do they want to filter out the office workers?

Why is office work on weekdays?

Because weekends are pretty irrelevant to farmers?

Livestock don't have any concept of weekends, so it makes little difference to farmers whether thee championship happens on a weekend or not.

The only possible reason I can think of, is that its cheaper and easier to find farm-relief staff during the week!

arctictree

I'm a farmer and weekdays suit much better. Weekends are just crazy with family stuff.

Jimmy.

arctictree wrote: »

I'm a farmer and weekdays suit much better. Weekends are just crazy with family stuff.

Swallowing carvery dinners, Sunday shopping.

Yer Da sells Avon

arctictree wrote: »

I'm a farmer and weekdays suit much better. Weekends are just crazy with family stuff.

You feed beefburgers to swans.

guylikeme

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Why is office work on weekdays?

I imagine historically the sabbath day rules which involved saturdays and later sundays be kept free. The standard then set.

What i mean is that this event needs to attract customers. Doing it while the majority are working or will need to waste annual leave seems a bit dopey. Imagine the crowds if the curious with a free weekend had a gawk.

De Bhál

arctictree wrote: »

I'm a farmer and weekdays suit much better. Weekends are just crazy with family stuff.

You make pigs smoke

vicwatson

Tents are cheaper to rent

Lizheen

I'd say it's less to do with it being a farm event, than to do with the fact that those working on the various trade stands might not be willing or free to give up their weekend for the ploughing - plus for exhibiting firms, the overtime bill might disincentivise them from participation.

Lizheen

Lizheen wrote: »

I'd say it's less to do with it being a farm event, than to do with the fact that those working on the various trade stands might not be willing or free to give up their weekend for the ploughing - plus for exhibiting firms, the overtime bill might disincentivise them from participation.

Could be. Although similar exhibitors attend Dublin Horse Show, and they're invariably busiest on the weekends (if you include the Friday/Aga Khan Day)

fleet_admiral

To keep the Dubs away

Iodine1

1. It is a ploughing competition, never intended to attract office workers.
2. Agri shows struggle to attract Agri trade exhibitors at weekends, as bigger crowds but less farmers in proportion.
3. Agri are dropping out of the ploughing every year - see increase in consumer stands - for same reason as in 2 above.
4. I know reps who simply refuse to do weekend shows, no double time and in cases no time in lieu, also as everyone seems to think its a grand day out and sure they get in free don't they?
5. Farmers don't have to take annual leave to go.

Iodine1

Iodine1 wrote: »

4. I know reps who simply refuse to do weekend shows, no double time and in cases no time in lieu, also as everyone seems to think its a grand day out and sure they get in free don't they?

a single adult admission to the Ploughing Championship costs 20 quid.

Twenty Grand

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

a single adult admission to the Ploughing Championship costs 20 quid.

The Ploughing is a trade show at the end of the day. Most lads are there to sell, not entertain mammy and daddy looking for a weekend outing.

Iodine1

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

a single adult admission to the Ploughing Championship costs 20 quid.

I'm unsure what you are getting at? I was just pointing out that staff working on stands often try to get out of it at weekends.

Iodine1

Twenty Grand wrote: »

The Ploughing is a trade show at the end of the day. Most lads are there to sell, not entertain mammy and daddy looking for a weekend outing.

+1

evolving_doors

Jim Bob Scratcher wrote: »

Because the farmers like to roll in the hay on the weekends.

Fact

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOLV9jBdc74

Iodine1

Iodine1 wrote: »

I'm unsure what you are getting at? I was just pointing out that staff working on stands often try to get out of it at weekends.

the 'get in free' bit?

Unless you're referring to workers, which makes even less sense; one would hardly expect them to pay to work.

dxhound2005

guylikeme wrote: »

I imagine historically the sabbath day rules which involved saturdays and later sundays be kept free. The standard then set.

What i mean is that this event needs to attract customers. Doing it while the majority are working or will need to waste annual leave seems a bit dopey. Imagine the crowds if the curious with a free weekend had a gawk.

It's a perfectly good way to use annual leave, if someone is interested in ploughing. Other people use their leave to go to Cheltenham or Galway for the racing. If you think it's a waste it's probably not for you. And I don't think they need any bigger crowds.

Badly Drunk Boy

guylikeme wrote: »

What i mean is that this event needs to attract customers. Doing it while the majority are working or will need to waste annual leave seems a bit dopey. Imagine the crowds if the curious with a free weekend had a gawk.

The attendance last year was 291,500. It's not as if nobody's going...

ToddyDoody

How straight were the lines this year compared to previous years?