I've just received the Federation minutes and they are a joy to read.

The AGM reports given by our Secretary, Chairman, and Fixture Secretary proudly track many of our great achievements. They in turn looked back, and then foreword to the exciting things ready to unfold in 2010.

When I look for a defining moment over those twenty five years I don't see any one instance or individual, and there has been a great many of them, I see the federation  as a great force spreading across the tug of war scene, from village green to the world stage. 

It was, and still is vibrant, alive and kicking, exciting and rewarding. I've had twenty five years of a roller coaster ride.  and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I'm Immensely proud of it, and very privileged to have been part of it.

Long may it continue for those who now carry the baton, and for those young people coming into the sport that I hope will in there turn carry the great friendly tradition of the Federation foreword.

I've brought this item up from the bottom of this page so that the show authorities in the South East who are being approached can see the support for the federation and the exciting way it runs events.  

I was invited to Judge the tug of war at the West Grinstead annual Ploughing match. It really is beautiful countryside, and it was much more than just a ploughing match, a country festival more like. West Grinstead stands right at the foot of the south downs. 

The fields were very big and very dry, there hadn't been any rain for a long time, and the sandy soil made it difficult to throw a good furrow. 

Two steam engines, one either side of a huge field, pulled a great five furrow plough backwards and forwards across the field. It had a man on board steering, You can see from the picture just how much steel cable it must have pulled out. 

When it reached the other side, it was tipped over, the driver changed ends and off it went back again. 

I walking round before the tug of war started, I thought the horses ploughed as well as any, if not as quick.

The tug of war

In all twelve different teams came onto the field to contest the three weights,  They were The Royal Oak A & B, men's teams, and their Ladies team. The Plough men's team and their Ladies team plus a mixed team. Hurstpierpoint YFC, Hailsham YFC, 1066 men's team, their ladies and two mixed teams.

The day started with a ladies competition, it was watched with great interest by a large and growing crowd. The only pictures I have are of the winners 1066. Once the day started I had no time to take any pictures, but if you have some, I'd be pleased to put them up.

Next came the men's catchweight with six teams entering, The Pulling was exceptionally good, Here we see the The Plough showing really good style.

Hurstpierpoint were well outweighed but they fought everyone with great determination. 

A big crowd watched enthusiastically. I was very grateful to Nigel Gearing who not only recorded, but had the teams ready to come out, this made everything run very smoothly.

The Royal Oak A team. The Royal Oak at Rusper is very much the centre for tug of war in West Sussex, and is at the forefront of the sports revival in this region. 

The Royal Oak B team. I think this is their local YFC.

1066 pulled very well to win the weight in the very last round of the competition

Pete Warwicker coaches the Royal Oak mixed team, 

The day ended with a mixed pulling competition, were four men and four ladies make up a team. This new and popular form of the sport is growing fast, and has been recognised by the world governing body for tug of war (TWIF) The Tug of War International Federation.

It is very fitting that the mixed pulling should make it's Sussex debut at such a good event as the 1066 team from Battle are the Great Britain National champions at this weight. 

It was a little bit endy, and because the teams were so close it made for a lot of three enders and a very hard days pulling. but these are things they will learn to look for when organising there next event.   

For 1066 this was the final campaign of a very successful year, which saw them crowned Federation National Champions at the 600 kilos mixed event.

Rather as expected, they took all three weights today, but from what I saw, they will have to look to their laurels when some of these other teams get fit.  

Pete Warwicker the coach of The Royal Oak was this years Show President. I know he was a bit disappointed with the ground, but he more than made up for it with his friendly hospitality to all the teams. The huge crowd loved it, and really got behind there local teams. I think the organisers were more than a little surprised by it's popularity with the crowd. So well done Peter, and thank you from all the teams.  

There is shortly to be a meeting of the teams in that region to organise next years events, starting with a training league in the spring. It is hoped they will all host a club event during the year, this could mean not having to travel more than an hour to any event. Certainly the  more teams that join them, and the stronger this region gets, it will draw teams down from the Midlands.