Andrew Mitchell Sr, of Forfar, won his fourth world title at the weekend when he triumphed in the reversible section at the 61st World Ploughing Contest at Saint Jean D’Illac, near Bordeaux, in France.
Using a New Holland tractor and a Dowdswell Plough, he amassed 195.5 points on the stubble on day one, leaving him in second place behind Beat Sprenger of Switzerland on 209 points.
On day two on grass, Mitchell pulled out all the stops and used his many years of experience to claw back the deficit and take first place and the overall championship with a score of 217 points, giving him a total of 412.5.
Sprenger was second with a grassland total of 194, giving Mitchell the grassland and overall titles by nine points. Taking third place was John Whelan, of the Republic of Ireland, who scored 392.5.
The long-awaited father and son double came so close this year as son, also Andrew, was runner-up in the conventional class,finishing third on the first day stubble with 194 points, which was only half a point behind Eamon Tracey of the Republic of Ireland in second and two points behind the grassland winner, Fabien Landre of France, who scored 196 points.
Day two on grass saw Mitchell, who used a Ford Dowdswell combination, rack up 185.5 points to push Landre back down into third but it was not enough to catch Tracey, who scored 187 to win the grassland section and overall conventional title.
Both their thoughts now return to defending their Scottish titles at the Scottish championships, which this year take place at Newlands and Pittendreich Farms at Balgedie, in Kinrosshire, on October 25 and 26.