The Mitchell family from Haughs of Ballinshoe, Forfar, have “put Scotland on the world ploughing map”, according to Scottish Ploughing Championships chairman Rab Birrell.
He was speaking to a gathering held at Finavon Hotel this week, with more than 80 ploughing enthusiasts and guests there to honour Andrew Mitchell Sr and his son Andrew Jr.
Between them they have amassed no fewer than six world championships and six reserve championships in recent years, as well as a host of placings,
Only two weeks ago at the latest world match near Bordeaux in France Andrew Sr secured the reversible ploughing championship, with Andrew Jr collecting the conventional reserve championship.
Frustratingly, only two points separated Andrew Jr from the winner, Irishman Eamon Tracey, thus preventing a unique family double.
Even then it is not the closest they have been to a clean sweep. In 2012 only a one-point differential spoiled their double.
Paying tribute to their unique contribution and that of wife and mother Joyce as team administrator and sometime coach, Mr Birrell said: “The Mitchell family have travelled the world, but not like normal tourists when they pack it is not just suitcases they need, but also a 40ft container for their tractors and ploughs and all the equipment they need.
“Once they arrive in a country they are far too busy setting up and practising do much sightseeing.”
Over the years they have consistently used Ford or New Holland tractors and Dowdeswell ploughs.
Andrew Sr works with the Pattullo family at Linross.
Andrew Jr is a tractor specialist with Agricar in Forfar.
Over the years they have been as far afield as Canada and New Zealand, as well as ploughing in nearly every country in Europe.
Andrew Sr won his first reversible world championship in Australia in 1997, and Andrew Jr, at the age of just 16, won his first conventional championship in the Republic of Ireland in 2006.
Laurencekirk farmer and contractor Dave Carnegie, a former world champion in his own right, said: “Andrew Jr’s achievement in Ireland at such a young age was really remarkable, but long before then I could see he had an eye for ploughing.
“He has gone on to win the Scottish championships and represent his country nine times in a row, which is an amazing achievement.”
Allan Murray, chairman of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, also paid tribute to the Mitchells.
“In our earliest records good ploughing is described as an art. If that is so, and I believe it is, there are no finer artists than the two Andrews, and it is an honour to congratulate them on their success.
“The society was founded in 1784, and since the early 1800s to the present day has awarded medals for good ploughing.
“In 2013 alone we presented 32 medals across the country.”
Andrew Jr, speaking for his father and himself, thanked all those who had sponsored them over the years and also paid tribute to those who had coached them, particularly long-term coach and adviser Bill Garden from Carmyllie.