This man of the soil is off to America to try to bring a world title back to Doncaster

Accompanied by Peter Alderslade from Tyne and Wear, he will compete in the 2019 World Ploughing Contest in Minnesota – and he’s taking his own tractor and plough with him.

David drives a Massey Ferguson tractor with a Kverneland plough.

The World Contest takes place on August 30 and 31 on land at Baudette, Lake of the Woods, Minnesota, with competitors travelling from 28 world-wide countries to take part.

They include several from Europe but others are making their way from Australia, New Zealand, Kenya and Russia.

South Yorkshire’s David is the current British Conventional Ploughing Champion and Supreme British Champion.

His companion, Peter Alderslade, is the current British Reversible Ploughing Champion.

Both men know exactly what the judges will be looking for as this will be their seventh attempt at the titles.

It is the fourth time the two have been team-mates, having competed in 2014 in France), 2015 in Denmark and 2016 here in England.

David and Peter both have the skills required to beat their previous bests of fourth overall but they will face tough competition from the other countries whose entries include past World Champions.

Completing the team and judging for England is farmer Vivian Samuel from Herefordshire who was a World Ploughing Champion himself when he won the title in New Zealand in 1980.

Vivian will also act as team coach prior to the Contest to try and help both ploughmen in their bid for world honours.

After their experience, David and Peter’s tractors and ploughs will be shipped back to the UK, ready for them to compete in this year’s British National Ploughing Championships which will be held at Nocton, near Lincoln, on October 12 and 13, by permission of Beeswax Dyson Farming.

Both will be striving to retain their titles and win a place at the 2020 World Ploughing Contest to be held in Russia.