Visitors to the ‘Combines 4 Charity’ Guinness world record event in July were treated to the sight of 211 combines all cutting in the one field. Of these, 208 harvesters made it to the end of their designated strips, bringing the world record back to Ireland in the process.
Back in 2009 a collaboration of Irish farmers, under the Combines Charity banner, set a new world record with 184 combines working in the one field. However, the following year their record was broken in Canada — the Canadians gathered 200 machines — and since then Combines 4 Charity has desperately wanted to regain the title and just as importantly, raise yet more money for charity.
Like so many events taking place this summer, the inclement weather and reluctant to ripen crops at Platin, Duleek, Co Meath, meant the original record attempt date had to be pushed back by a week for the sodden ground to dry up and crops to come fit. In fact, it almost seemed appropriate that, just as the combines were about to tuck into the winter barley crop, there was a heavy 5min shower so the drivers had to wait yet another hour before firing up their engines.
At 4.30pm on Saturday, 28th July, the green light was given. The 211 Irish combines set off, and 20mins later 208 of them had made it to the finishing line, the wet straw taking its toll on the three machines that did not complete the minimum 5mins of harvesting work required.
Those with a keen eye will have spotted several tractors/tankers tucked in behind the combines in one of the pictures. These 25 water tanker outfits were acting as a fire brigade service, just in case one of the combines became a little overheated in all the excitement. It’s estimated that there was over €30m worth of kit in the 60ha field in Co Meath, where the final yield worked out at 9.49t/ha at 20% moisture.
