WET weather has forced organisers to cancel an annual ploughing competition due to take place tomorrow.

Around 22 ploughmen were due to compete in Wellow Growmore Club’s competition which has now been called off for the second time in six months because of the weather.

Chairman Sue Francis said: “The field was inspected late yesterday and the soil was too soggy to plough. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the match again. The soil would have clogged up the plough mouldboards and mud would have been carried onto the road by tractors coming out of the field.”

The ploughing competition was originally planned for last October, but bad weather prevented a standing cereal crop in the field at Whiteparish, from being harvested and the club didn’t have an alternative site to use for the annual autumn event.

It is the first time in the club’s history that the ploughing match has not been held at all because of bad weather.

Sue added: “It’s very disappointing. This is the first year we can remember in the last 50 years, that it’s been cancelled altogether because of poor weather.

"It has been called off before but that was because of foot-and-mouth disease. We are now hoping for a drier summer and autumn than last year, then, hopefully we can hold this year’s match on October 12.”