Andrew Gill from Crossgar and James Coulter from Hillsborough will represent Northern Ireland at the 2027 World Ploughing Championships in Kenya next December, after leading the national qualifying table at the 2026 Northern Ireland Ploughing Championships held on September 25 and 26 on lands close to Hillsborough, Co. Down.

Who are the two qualifiers?

Gill, competing in the conventional class, posted 238 points on Day One (stub) and 221 on Day Two (grassland), finishing with a total of 459 points. His selection keeps the conventional flag flying for Northern Ireland at the 2027 Worlds.

Coulter, in the reversible category, scored 223 points on Day One and 246 on Day Two, for a combined 469-point total. His Day Two lift underlines how reversible skills translate well across changing ground.

Who took the overall titles?

Overall honours at Hillsborough went south of the border. Frank Cullen from Co. Wexford claimed the conventional title with 478 points (236 on Day One, 242 on Day Two). Liam O'Driscoll from west Co. Cork topped the reversible section with 485 points (249 Day One, 236 Day Two).

The high scores on both sides of the border point to favourable soil conditions that judges acknowledged on the day. Overtaking the Northern Ireland contenders also shows the depth of competition on the island of Ireland.

What were the conditions like?

Heavy rain in the Hillsborough area before the championships softened the ground, judge Rodney Crawford from Comber in Co. Down said. Crawford assessed the conventional plots on Day One and called conditions fair to all competitors.

Crawford judged alongside Andrew Mitchell from Dundee and Robert Brown from Co. Derry, forming a three-strong conventional judging panel. The trio watched competitors tackle stubble on Day One and grassland on Day Two.

Large crowds attended both days. Plough men from across the island of Ireland took part, lifting the event above its usual domestic footprint.

What does a competitive plough cost?

Competitive ploughing at the highest levels is a serious investment, Crawford noted. "A basic plough can cost around £10,000," he said, with added features pushing that price significantly higher.

He added: "But when all is said and done, ploughing is all about skill and judgement: keeping a straight line at all times will always be the end objective." That judgement, not hardware, separates the field at championship level.

Who else travels for Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland will field Adrian Jamison from Co. Antrim and Jack Wright from Co. Derry at the 2027 European Reversible Ploughing Championships. A four-strong squad now prepares for back-to-back international outings in 2027.

What should farmers watch next?

Gill and Coulter have roughly 15 months to sharpen technique, tune equipment and bank travel logistics before the December 2027 Worlds in Kenya. Reversible form looks the main European benchmark once the spring 2027 warm-up matches are confirmed.