Continuing with my plan to build up competition experience prior to the Nationals later this month, I entered the hedge-laying competition at Hurstpierpoint Ploughing Match on the 6th October. Once again I was up against some expert cutters, so it wasn’t going to be easy by any means.

There were 18 of us competing and on this occasion the rules stipulated hand tools only, i.e. no chainsaws. I drew cant no. 3 and at 08:30 hrs we were off.

The hedge was mainly hawthorn but there were also some big field maple stems which required a lot of elbow grease and axe work to get over. I also had some hornbeam in my cant which made a nice change and which was much easier to lay.

Despite the no chainsaw rule, everybody seemed to make good progress and it wasn’t long before we were staking and binding. In the end, I finished with at least half an hour to spare, so I am now very happy in the knowledge that I can finish a competition cant in good time and not have to rush unlike at the Nationals last year.

We had to wait a while for the results to come in, but in the end I placed joint 12th. I am very happy with that given the quality of the opposition and I was very pleased with how my hedge looked upon completion. As always, the company and the banter were excellent and it was a superb day out. Roll on the Nationals!