Young farmers roll out for tractor rally in Bishop’s Waltham to raise funds for MS Society

Starting from Tangier Farm at Bishop’s Waltham, South East Hants Young Farmers Club annual tractor rally saw a procession of tractors set off on a 35-mile route finishing at the Ship Inn in Owslebury.

Around 45 people met at the farm for warm drinks and bacon butties before the convoy departed, purchasing raffle tickets to help raise funds for the MS Society.

Club member Thomas ‘T-Rex’ Gregory organised the event after his mum Clare was diagnosed with MS in February.

He said: ‘We asked as many people as we could for raffle prizes.

‘I think we’ll easily raise £2,000 for the MS Society.

‘It’s good, I expected a bit more people, but the donated raffle prizes are amazing.’

Mum Clare Gregory owns Tangier Farm, which has 400 beef cows.

She is also an advisory member for the club, and was once chairman for Hampshire Young Farmers.

Clare said: ‘I was quite choked up, it’s quite emotional - they’ve never had as many as this along for an event before.’

‘It’s a strange disease, people assume it’s about mobility but it affects everything - it’s the bits you can’t see.

‘You hear of it but until it affects you, you don’t realise how wide a range of symptoms there are. It’s been quite scary and very eye opening.’

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South East Hants Young Farmers Club has 17 official members and another 10 that come along to events.

Summer Jones, who has three horses, attended the event with her friend Georgia Harvey.

The girls have been members of the club for several years.

Georgia said: ‘I got involved with my brother, I’m driving his tractor.

‘I’ve been driving tractors all my life, pretty much.’

Families also attended the rally to watch the tractors set off on their journey.

Hannah Britten attended the event with her partner Daniel and their two young children - Albie, who is three, and seven-month-old Ezra.

Hannah said: 'Albie loves tractors, he has done since day one.

'My in-laws run a dairy farm so I've been interested since getting to know them.

'Albie watches tractors on YouTube - each one that comes around, he knows exactly what type it is.'

Visit gofundme.com/f/south-east-hants-tractor-run.

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