A Powys ploughing champion has added to his already-impressive trophy cabinet.

Evan Watkin, 63, has added a pair of bronze medals from this year’s World Championship to his 14 Welsh Championships, the 2019 British Championship and multiple Word Championship medals.

Mr Watkin, from New Mills, started ploughing at 13 years old before taking it up competitively in 1988 in the Welsh championships – and “hasn’t missed one until this year.”

Mr Watkin has won the Welsh Championships 14 times and represented Wales at World events on multiple occasions but was not able to compete this year.

But Mr Watkin is intending to make a return next year – and can console himself with a return to success at the World Championships at Ratheniska site in County Laois in Ireland.

“In 2003 I was runner up in the world competition in Canada," he said. "I was runner up again in 2004 in Northern Ireland. In 2008 I won the Grassland in Austria and finished fourth that year overall. In 2012 I was third in Croatia.

MORE NEWS:

“Since then I have struggled to get into the top five – so this is the first time I have been back on the podium for 10 years."

The competition was very intense for Mr Watkin, who had to start at 6.30am and be taken in by police escort due to the agricultural show at the same time which had almost 100,000 visitors – before taking on competitors from around the world, with 26 in his section alone.

Mr Watkin though was delighted with his result gaining fifth place in the stubble and third in the grassland event- gaining third place overall. Mr Watkin paid tribute to his coach Lodwick Jones of Kidwelly who he thanked "for his assistance in my success".

“People were telling me when my name was called out that they thought I’d won it with the reactions on my face," he said. "I was holding up the trophy in the air and all the rest of it. I was really over the moon and I only missed second place by one point.

“I thought before I went out if I can get one bronze medal before I come home I’ll be happy. I’ve had two bronze medals on grass and overall and that completes my set: I’ve got three golds, three silver and three bronze.”

This does not mean that Mr Watkin is going to stop though: “I’m hungry for it again. If my age and my health will allow it - I want to go again.”