Team Ireland is set to return from the World Ploughing Championships in Germany with an impressive trophy haul following a very successful showing in Einsiedel over the weekend.

Ploughing teams from all over the world gathered in the Einsiedel farm estate in Baden-Wurttemberg in the south-west of the country to compete in the 65th World Ploughing Championship.

Carlow man Eamonn Tracey put in a world-beating performance at the contest to win the title of world champion in the conventional class.

Meanwhile, John Whelan from Wexford secured second place in the world reversible ploughing.

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Northern Ireland also had an excellent showing, with Thomas Cochrane from Co. Derry taking top spot for the world reversible ploughing title.

The contest

Driving a winning combination of a Valtra and Kverneland plough, Tracey secured pole position by a fine margin, earning 402 points over the course of the two-day event – some 24 points ahead of second-placed Thomas Debes from France.

Meanwhile, Cochrane, operating with a McCormick tractor and a Kverneland, racked up a 418-point tally to take top spot.

Whelan notched up 391.5 points with his New Holland and Kverneland set-up to take home second place.

The results were announced at a gala dinner and awards ceremony last night by the NPA’s Anna Marie McHugh, who is general secretary of the World Ploughing Organisation.

The results mark a successful outing for the National Ploughing Association (NPA), which is currently gearing up to hold the National Ploughing Championships 2018, set to take place from Tuesday, September 18, through to Thursday, September 20.