MORE than 230 top ploughmen and women from all over Britain will compete in October in the 2017 British National Ploughing Championships at Bishops Lydeard.

The event on Saturday and Sunday, October 14 and 15 will be packed with competitions for many types of plough and styles of ploughing.

It will end with the top ploughmen being selected to represent England at the 2019 World Ploughing Contest, European Reversible Ploughing Championships and the European Vintage Ploughing Championships.

The site covers 200 acres and has good facilities for competitors and public, with easy access by road and plenty of car parking space.

The championships are returning to Somerset after being invited back by Ken Coles and family, who hosted the event in 2011.

The competition has attracted considerable interest in the immediate area and surrounding counties.

Visitors will see not only the highly skilled competition ploughing and an extensive agricultural trade stand area with some of the latest machinery available but also attractions such as vintage tractors, ploughs and equipment; steam ploughing engines; a craft marquee with a wide variety of stands; and rural and vintage displays with the themes 'Welcome to Somerset' and 'From Horse to Horse Power'.

Over the two days, there will be ploughing classes for reversible and conventional ploughs, young farmers, horticultural, high cut tractors, Ferguson, national finals for vintage tractors with trailing, hydraulic and classic ploughs.

Horse ploughing is one of the major family attractions with more than a dozen pairs of heavy horses at work each day.

Magnificently turned out with ornate brass and leather harness, these true farm workhorses will be seen competing to produce the best general purpose ploughing on the first day and the stylish traditional high cut work on the second day.

Local and national companies will be showing the most up-to-date machinery for sale today, so farmers will be able to see what's on offer.

It also offers a fantastic opportunity for everyone with an interest in the countryside to see how farming has changed over the last 300 years, so people (especially children) can see and appreciate our farming heritage.