Ploughing championships 2023

duffysfarm

Dont see any other thread on this title.

Are many people going this year? Kids are on to me to go but trying to put them off. Went last year and wasnt impressed. Looked at the list of exhibitors this year and note that again there are no tractors on display - Massey, New Holland etc. Is this down to the companies having it that good and not needing to put on a show or is it down to the championships charging too much?

Anto_Meath

I have a friend involved with 1 of the tractor companies, he done a few years at it but said it was a total waste of time. Half the crowd that look at the tractors are kids teenagers who have no interest in buying a tractor. Most of the older people looking are just tyre kickers and have no interest in buying unless they win the lotto. He said by the time you rent the stand, put up a tent, staff the stand, have some promotional goodies to give away you would be looking at a layout of of over €200K & the European head office couldn't see any increase in sales out of attending.

hopeso

The ploughing has changed a lot over the years, to the extent that there's very little of interest left at it now for the farmer. There are certainly better events on the calendar that showcase livestock and machinery.

While Massey, New Holland etc. are not attending, their tractors will probably be displayed by a local dealer on a smaller scale to the stands that were commonplace years ago.

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121103766#Comment_121103766

I think years ago deals were done at the ploughing (good discounts) but last few years they seem only to give local dealers phone no. and tell you to deal with them afterwards

E mac

Not going this year but I’ve never been offered passes as much by reps/dealers …anyone else noticed this?

I see a couple of companies listed that sell compact tractors so I'm going down for a look the first day if the weather isn't forecast bad.

Suckler

I was at Strokestown show last week; granted a smaller affair entirely, but they've let a new crowd of sellers in hawking all sorts of shyte. One lad couldn't get the pellet guns out of the van quick enough. Others selling the small boxes of 'fun' snaps...all at a show with cattle/horses/sheep/dogs being shown. There was a guy at a stall for guide dogs who was plagued by little f0ckers pestering the dogs.

These types of stalls need to go.

Suckler

There used to be serious demonstrations on as well; been years since I've seen anything significant.

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121104703#Comment_121104703

I was at a Montbeliarde open day recently. There was about eight stands there from cubicle bedders to tractor and loader, to cow identification, to ai stand, to mineral and fertiliser stand. The stands had their genuine customers there from all corners of Ireland. I'd say the stand holders had little to no outlay bar maybe sponsoring the association.

I got my few pens.😅

alps

You could go to meet the Minister.

rs8

Not going after last year... full of kids and stalls selling stuff for kids. Plus the fact of the extra €5 if your paying cash. Never see anything like years ago with the "dancing diggers" etc... they were shows.

Was talking to a family member of a ex dealership in the Midlands and he was telling me he stood at the massey ploughing stand for 20 years (as a sales man) and no man ever walked off the grid and bought a tractor off them ... often started deals or closed them he said but they never got a fresh buyer in and sold a tractor on same day. Taught that was mad.

Suckler

I've a crush and head gate in need of an upgrade so I'm hoping to get a few ideas and do a bit of a deal.

6480

Go on donedeal.ie and u might see something better

Aravo

Not going, Tbh have not been in a number of years. Tullamore show for me beats the ploughing. Look forward to Tullamore show every year.

international xl

Went last year but it,s gone down hill it was some thing special now it,s sub ordinary,it was full of goverment tents and food stalls thats life one can only stay on top for so long.

freshpopcorn

I haven't been in a few years. Will most stalls accept card or should I bring a bit of cash?

road_high

Not too bothered. Used to always go. It’s gone downhill a lot. I detest the hordes of drunken teens, very little you wouldn’t seen on any company website or go to a dealer/merchant/store. All the special displays like the Land Rovers or Husqvarna chainsaws seem to be long gone. The political/media aspect to it also makes me want to vomit. It’s become a gouging event

Greengrass53

Those mchughs are the real gougers.. Never go near the thing anymore

Bass Reeves

When the wives or kids want to go more than the actual farmers it tells the story

_Brian

Had thought of Tullamore show this year but was out of the country, have tickets bought for Wednesday.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121107301#Comment_121107301

Yes you literally get nothing for your now €30- an opportunity to be stuck in crowds with the privilege of companies trying to sell you more stuff. Well you can do that in any modern shopping centre or retail park and it will be a lot more pleasurable. Should at least get a complimentary cup of coffee.

Companies are questioning their marketing budgets more than ever and this event must be highly questionable for return

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121107301#Comment_121107301

did you used to go? Very few real farmers seem to bother- they work hard enough without added hassle for nothing. Crowd numbers will be interesting but no doubt they’ll pad that out with the schools hordes

zetecescort

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121108691#Comment_121108691

"Real farmers"! That was the excuse my father used give for not going when we were young, real farmers are too busy to go. He obviously could see all we wanted was the day off school

Bass Reeves

You would not mind but I have two free tickets from Zurich insurance that I will give away.

TinyMuffin

Only 10 miles away but probably won’t go.

€30 is a bit steep.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121108796#Comment_121108796

€25 if you book online but then you’re tied to a day if the weather is rubbish or last minute change of plans

hopeso

It's quite obvious that they've more or less driven the farmer, and those selling to the farmer, out of the ploughing. It's now a day out for school children and city slickers. But, the day will come when they get enough of it, and flock to the next 'in' thing. What becomes of the ploughing then?

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121108780#Comment_121108780

A friend used to get the same answer from his father, one day he’d enough and went. The following year his father went with him. Met the father there on the day who was in his awe and even acknowledged regret not going years prior. Sadly that’s 10 odd years ago

road_high

If it’s pissing rain definitely won’t be interested in going

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121109151#Comment_121109151

I think that’s a major part in the semi permanent Stradbally site- close to Dublin and the 4 major motorways and railway lines. When I was a young lad in the 90s it was something for the townies to sneer at us in school over. Gone mainstream now and diluted what it was once

anthony500_1

I'm not an old man by any means, in my early 40s, but I've been going well over 20 yrs at this stage, almost every year without fail, and like others have said the real farmer at home was to busy so once I'd a car under me hole, I travelled regardless where it was, cork, Waterford Kilkenny Louth Offaly laois and a few more too if memory serves me right, leave home at 3 or 4 am if needed to be parked up by 7.30 at the latest. After a few years returning home with stories of the day the Farmer decided to sit in for the spin and never looked back. Think it was in tullamore they had aassive Case on tracks, couple hundred horse power easily, the likes of I'd say at the time was the only one in the country, I too remember the demos by the likes of landrover, JCB, huskvarna that you would stand for an hour at each one alone looking at the show there were putting on. The Lely robotic milking shed, another joy to stand watching seeing a herd of cows milking away on there own, auto feeders etc running away, Then there was the cattle area, the best of the best in the country. For many years I never seen any ploughing at all, they just was no time with all that was to see inside the main area. That to me is what the ploughing was, After missing out in 20 and 21 due to COVID I was eager to get back to old habits in 22....... it was very disappointing from a farmers point of view, all the stuff mentioned above gone, hardly a beast or a tractor to be seen, and nothing but tents of shite tools and clothes shops with "hit the diff" on every item in the place. I've made up my mind already regardless if the sun is splitting the rocks or not I'm not going to take my annual day out and hit for laois. And for once, I don't think I'll be thinking in the back of my mind, I should have went.........

White Clover

I'll probably be there unfortunately. When I saw the Tik Tok stand last year I said this thing is going to die a death. It has fallen a long ways from what it was.

Box09

I won't be going, it's a poor event and I have no intention of supporting that greedy family.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121110681#Comment_121110681

Same as, you’d see the top AI bulls & their progeny. I still remember when Blakestown had a full tent of cattle and the Charolais society had another, walk to wall with top stock. Now there’s only a few as demonstration

anthony500_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121111176#Comment_121111176

Absolutely, nearly every mainstreem breed society and AI company had there best on show, If you were in early enough you would see the owners/handlers washing and prepping and you might catch a chat with one or two for a few mins about there marvelous stock. The Charollais tent would have cattle that you would travel the country and not see the likes of them anywhere else. Cows in the 900kg or a 1000kgs category and a calf nearly as big as the cow rearing it. In reality I'm sure the calf was lost in the rushes for months before being registered and had prob ate enough nuts to keep red mills going. But that was beside the point. It was one of my highlights every year

road_high

The Spring show was the premiere event in my parents time. At least in this part of the country. That died a death in the 80s and the Ploughing grew from that point

Sheep breeder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121111176#Comment_121111176

That’s when Patsy was in his prime and selling lots of cars, a lot of society’s held their all irelands there and most now in Tullamore. Back a few years ago spent two days on a stand and was only given 3 tickets per day for 10 breeders to man the stand and had to give the old lady big money per square metre, she slowly choked the good out of it for the farming side, there are more good shows around the country now and balmoral is a handy spin up the road and book the highland early for flights is a great day out.

Greengrass53

Spot on. It's just an over crowded over priced over hyped tat sale. Over and out.

valtra2

I like it. Its what you make of it. It's always easy to look at the negative side. Go, don't go. But please stop. If its not everyone's cup of tea then have coffee

davidk1394

After all this rain things will surely be a bit sticky up there. I'm going to go up for a look with the father, more so out of tradition and meeting into people you might only see once a year. Like some people already said they had no memorable stands like the lely robots or husqvarna last year. Livestock and machinery stands are way back. However last year I was thinking of building a log cabin or modular home so it was handy to see them and get a rough price.

twin_beacon

Won't be going this year, and probably won't be again unless its very close to me. I know lots of people complain about the school kids, but I went twice with the school in 2000 and 2002, great craic and I wouldn't begrudge anyone the same experience.

The main reason I have no plans to go is that the show has become "too big", while at the same time, every year having less and less stands that I am interested in. I was at the 3 years in Tullamore, even during those years, you could see the decline as some of the large stands pulled out, e.g. Massey. I think by the last year in Tullamore there was no stand by Massey, John Deere, Case, Landini, McCormick, Claas. Open to correction on that.

My Dad and I went last year, and we did enjoy the day, but there was a lot of junk stands with the kind of sales men you see late at night selling vegetable choppers on TV, and lots of stands you'd see at Clara market. We were very disappointed that there was virtually no livestock at it, and also no cars, there used to be huge stands from VW, SKoda, Toyota, BMW...... On the way out of the Tullamore show this year we said we wouldn't bother with the Ploughing.

I think the two main people that the Ploughing is advantageous to would if you want to compare the same machinery made by different manufacturers, and likewise, if you are building, or renovating a house as there are lots of stands on the building side of things.

Have a smallholding but not a farmer. Went last year with the family. Wouldn't go again. The amount of rubbish being sold and 1 small tent for the organic smallholder.

Kids everywhere and queues the length of the field.

Never again

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121113179#Comment_121113179

A lot of it is “pure and utter hardship”. And charged top dollar for the privilege.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121113127#Comment_121113127

The car end which is always enjoy appeared to be reduced a lot in recent years

Hershall

I'd imagine the site is getting pretty messy with all the rain

Aravo

Reading this thread shows exactly the reason why the ploughing is becoming a turnoff for many farmers and also agricultural related dealers. Year by year its becoming less focused on agriculture.

anthony500_1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121115598#Comment_121115598

Just after getting a video sent to me from the main area today, it does not look good. Couple of inches of water on top of the metal walkways and around a couple of exhibitor stands. I can't upload it for some reason but its looking very wet after all the rain today. Hopefully it will clear up and dry a bit by opening on Tuesday. In fairness to the lads that do the setting up, they can do amazing stuff in a few days with mulch and tracks if they get half a chance.

Anto_Meath

https://twitter.com/damienwlr/status/1702785436425338984?t=kIbkXKS0hz9SrQNyxsxZOA&s=19 this doesn't look appealing.

leoch

Looks as wet as the ifa leader on the rte news tonight that woman who spoke before him was a million miles better hes a waste of space

If it's soupy like that next week I'll stay home to do something mildly useful

Smart move pushing to online bookings, even if the days are a washout and attendance is down the mchughs will still have the ticket sales in their back pocket as doubt there is a refund policy