Passing on The Ploughing Passion.

Written by Lee Bassett, Welham Diesel customer and friend.

Harry Bassett may be known to some of the Welham followers as an up-and-coming ploughman in the Vintage Mounted class. He is 21 years old and a Qualified Technician with a local John Deere dealership in Derbyshire near to where we live. This article will guide you through our journey from the beginning, to being the ninth best in the UK in his class for the second year in a row.

It all started when he was born in 2005, I am a tractor and ploughing mad Dad – within a few months I had brought him his first tractor, he was literally a few months old, a Petrol Grey Fergie which we eventually renovated together when he started to grow up. I saw it; it was right money and brought it, although it did sit on our yard for a few years. This was sold on to fund his next tractor, a New Performance Super Dexta which over the years has been renovated into show condition and was also his first ploughing tractor along with a 2 Furrow Fisher Humphries plough. We often laugh about the Fisher Humphries plough, I remember it as if it was yesterday, he was 13 years old and he came to me in the garden and said, “I’ve brought a plough!” The usual questions followed – what type, what condition, have you got the money to buy it, oh, and where is it? The reply came, “Somerset!” What, I said that’s £100 in diesel!

Prior to this he had been cutting his teeth following me up and down in the local Ferguson Tractor and Plough class at matches, I have to add, I’m not good and never was, but thankfully it sparked something in Harry!

Three key events!

Three key things happened in the early years that set him up for success. When he was 9 years old, we both attended a local Agricultural Society practice day. I finished my plot and received some coaching, and then he said, “Can I have a go?” My reply was to ask the landowner, he asked Harry, “How old are you?” He said 9, the landowner replied – I was 9 when I ploughed my first field – get on and have a go. I was walking alongside him all the time within striking distance of the “Pull stop” due to his age! He was over the moon – he started adding to my plot. We are also blessed with some great friends with farms and therefore, stubble who have let him have a go over the years.

The second event was when he was 13, he twigged that he could now officially compete, again the question came, “Dad, can I have a go?” That was the end of my hobby, however, I said to my Wife (and super supportive Mum) he may be able to do something with this in his lifetime, and the rest is history. Seven years on and he has just competed in his 4^th Nationals in a row and for the last two years placed 9th, you can only imagine the pride of our whole family. He was Hydraulic Mounted Young Farmer UK Champion in 2024 and Second last year.

Now for the third event, it coincides with his first competitive match; he was entered into the Novices class at Stafford District match at Brancote near Stafford. We had the usual challenges associated with your first match and like everyone; he wanted to do the best job possible, especially in the public glare! There were two judges at that match, John Harris and Viv Samuel. John approached me after the match and asked if I would be interested in bringing Harry to Ross-on-Wye for a practice day and a match the following day? I naturally said yes, but then asked, why Harry? John replied, lads of that age are normally more interested in driving the tractor than in what’s happening behind the tractor, Harry was looking behind at what was going on with the plough and making adjustments to change what was happening as he went along. He was second that day and we eventually went to the training day and match, a truly great experience.

In later years the Stafford and District ploughing committee sponsored Harry’s attempts at the 2022 and 2023 British Nationals as their Young Farmer, before the next ambition was met to qualify in his own right. Another interesting point is that I have a very precious photograph in my possession of my Great Grandad and Great Uncle ploughing line abreast with Standard Fordson’s in a field not too far from where Harry’s first competitive match was, maybe it’s in the genes?

As the years progressed, Harry has been influenced and supported by some great people, and mentors – especially Chris at Welham Diesel, and I thank you for all of your patience, advice, helping to source improved equipment, etc. Also, with the knowledge he has gained, Harry is like a sponge with information, and he has two things, a healthy dissatisfaction with what he is doing and always wants it to be better next time, and he is very driven to succeed. Around 5 years ago we made the decision to attend as many matches as we could, which takes us into Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Shropshire and into Warwickshire, the idea was that the longer his plough is in the ground, the more he learns about different soil types, crops, weather conditions etc.

I mentioned earlier that he had traded up to a New Performance Super Dexta which was a 1964, as you know Vintage Mounted is 1959 or before and this soon became an issue as he started to win awards. By this time to increase our match tally we had joined Kegworth Vintage Agricultural Club (Kegworth Ploughing Association) and Harry spotted an FE35, 4 Cylinder in the brambles at the Chairman’s farm. He politely asked if it was for sale – yes was the reply and the deal was done. It had stood for some time and two of the pistons were seized solid, and it had Injector issues, so at the age of 15 he rebuilt the tractor on our driveway during the winter, new pistons and liners. This started another great relationship with Chris at Welham Diesel. Harry had arrived at the time where he was about to try to start the 35 and had an Injector that was beyond repair. He said, “What am I going to do?” I said – ask around see if someone will donate one to you. I have a saying, “what’s the worst they can say? No! We can do, no if we are prepared for it.” Chris at Welham kindly sent Harry one that was waiting for refurbishment, this allowed him to start the tractor and get ploughing with it. Another point to note is that Harry was financially broke and he steadfastly refused to sell his beloved Dexta! He still has it to this day, and it will never be sold. The FE35 has undergone many improvements and refurbishments over the years, 4 heater plugs, several rebuilds, one from a smashed chain tensioner that bent several valves, draft control rebuild and new levers and more recently new tin work and a reconditioned pump and injectors from Welham. Luckily, we now have two more really supportive and kind sponsors on board to help with costs Steve Foster Crane Hire and Eaton Hall Shooting Ground both from our village of Doveridge, near Ashbourne. Interestingly we have had a mystery donor who has gifted Harry some sponsorship if we would advertise the village local pub.

From a plough perspective, he traded up to a Ransomes TS54, which itself has gone through tweaks and changes, usually in the evenings between matches.

All of this has had a great influence on his development through his teenage years and it led to his career path of Technician with John Deere, his knowledge of tractor rebuilding and Series Land Rover rebuilds were all questioned during his interviews with the Service Managers and the Training provider. He has made a massive network of people who help and mentor him, this has led to a rare ability to talk to anyone of all ages, and I may add, respectfully. I am probably one of the only Dad’s in the UK who gets a Father’s Day card written to the Toto Wolff of Ploughing!

So, what of the future? Harry’s ambition was to represent his country at an international level, and I am thrilled to say that he has been asked by the Society of Ploughmen to represent England at the Six Nations Ploughing in Ireland in September.

As I said earlier, so many people have helped and continue to help, too many to list, but Chris at Welham has always been in Harry’s corner and we proudly display Welham Diesel stickers in pride of place on his toolbox, thank you. These people all have one thing in common, keeping the skill alive into the next generation; this is a great community to be a member of. Any parents out there I urge you to get your children involved as early as possible – we also have a duty to provide the next generation of budding plough people.

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