Irish Valtra driver takes silver at World Ploughing Championships

23.09.2005

Altogether five Valtra or Valmet drivers participated in the world championships, representing Ireland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Finland. The Valtra A Series is an extremely popular competition ploughing tractor thanks to its precise front-lift system and excellent handling. In 2002, Anders Göransson-Frick from Sweden took the world title in the reversible ploughing event held in Switzerland using a Valtra A Series.

Matti Rautiainen from Finland was 12th in this year’s conventional ploughing event. A medal position was close, as Rautiainen ploughed well on the stubble but was penalised 60 points for mistakenly thinking he had one more hour. Apparently the time difference and unchanged clock had him confused. On the grassland Rautiainen just had bad luck, as in his section he came across the foundations of old building beneath the soil, dragging up the remains of old brick and iron-reinforced concrete.

Arto Ali-Eskola, also from Finland, placed 16th in the reversible ploughing event. Ali-Eskola was pleased with his result in his first ever world championships.

Martin Rupp from Switzerland was 12th in the reversible ploughing event, while Aleš Malý of the host nation was 25th in the same series.

The competition was organised by the Czech Ploughing Society in partnership with the Czech Ministry of Agriculture and the Czech University of Agriculture. Altogether 58 competitors took part, representing 26 countries. The conventional ploughing event attracted 28 ploughers, while the reversible ploughing series had 30 competitors.

Back