Farmers put the power of their tractors and their driving skills to the test when the world’s heaviest motorsport came to a Pembrokeshire stubble field.
Two tractors of similar horsepower were each hooked to a trailer carrying the same weight to race each other along a 250m track at Yerbeston Farm, Cresselly, for the Martletwy YFC charity tractor pull.
The aim was to clock up the fastest time.
The event, held to raise funds for the refurbishment of the YFC’s meeting hall and for the Wales Air Ambulance and the DPJ Foundation, attracted 130 tractors racing in three categories.
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The tractors were towing trailers weighted with varying quantities of stone as ballast to even up the odds.
The first race of the day was between Martletwy YFC members Harry Brown in a Ford and Tomos Harries in a John Deere, with Harry winning by a narrow margin.
The overall winner in the 80-140 horsepower (hp) category was a Ford TW10 and in the 140-200hp a Case Optum.
In the category for the most powerful tractors, those exceeding 200hp, it was a John Deere 6930 that triumphed.
The youngest members of the community also had the opportunity to participate with lawn mower races for children.
The tractor pull was the idea of fencing contractor Hamish Brown whose children are Martletwy YFC club members, and also Charles Harries and Andrew Harts.
“We thought it would be a really good laugh, an event that would be fun but would also raise some money for the hall which is in a state of disrepair,’’ he said.
The final tally of the money raised has yet to be announced but Hamish said it had been important on two counts.
“The event brought the farming and local community together and that was as important as raising money,’’ he said.
Emma Davies, who also helped run the event, said it would not have been possible without the help of the Martletwy Show Committee, Pembrokeshire County Show Committee and volunteers from the local community.
“We would especially like to thank all of our sponsors for the day, especially Tallis Amos who provided the dyno machine and A&C Aggregates who supplied the stone,’’ she said.
“There was great excitement that a Ford 7810 two-wheel drive maxed the dyno machine out at 400hp and the dyno had to be stopped.’’
The showpiece of the day was Tom Pritchard’s 1884 County tractor.
The club will run the event again next year.
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