Co Carlow ploughman Eamonn Tracey reconquered the Golden Plough in the conventional class at the World Ploughing Championships in Kirchentellinsfurt, Germany on Saturday and Sunday.

Northern Ireland contestant Thomas Cochrane from Co Derry received the reversible gold medal at a ceremony hosted by World Ploughing Organisation general secretary Anna Marie McHugh.

Tracey first won the Golden Plough trophy in France in 2014, and successfully defended it in Denmark the following year. However, English ploughman David Chappell secured home advantage at the 2016 contest in England, relegating Tracey to second place.

In Kenya last year, Tracey again came second – but this was good news for Ireland as the winner was none other than his teammate John Whelan.

Wexford man Whelan won the silver medal in the reversible class this year.

Cochrane was among the top ranking ploughmen at previous world championships and had previous success winning the World Conventional Champion title in Geelong, Australia in 1997.

The winners are guaranteed a heros' homecoming at the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore, Co Offaly in two week's time, where Tracey and Whelan will again compete to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally next year.

The World Ploughing Championships will now move to the US for the 2019 contest in Lake of the Woods, Minnesota.

Watch the parade of contestants this Sunday in the video posted by the championships' organisers below:

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