27th BHHA “Skills of the Hills” Event
Saturday 1st March 2025
Woonton Farm, Holy City EX13 4JZ
By kind permission of Mr Tom Eames & Family
W3W: ///innovate.rigs.charcoal
The BHHA "Skills of the Hills" is predominently a hedgelaying competition but spectators are welcome to come along and watch the event take place..
Admission is free and the site will be open from 09:30.
There are toilet facilities and hot food and drink available for members of the public.
Please note that if you do come to spectate you do so entirely at your own risk. Hedgelaying involves the use of chainsaws and removing some large stems from the hedge.
Do take extreme caution when on the site.
Hedgelaying Competition
There are five classes in the BHHA hedgelaying competition: Novice, Novice Pairs, Intermediate, Intermediate Pairs and
the Open Class.
The Novice and Novice Pairs classes are designed to be suitable for competitors who have limited experience of hedgelaying. Those who have attended a BHHA training course will be
comfortable handling the task at hand.
Hedges laid in the competition will be on a bank should be done in the “Devon” style and secured using crooks. We have prepared a few notes on the Devon style of hedgelaying
which you can download using the PDF icon on the left. It gives some guidance on what the judges will be looking for in this competition.
A cutting fee of £15 will be given to all competitors/pairs who complete their allocated section of hedge including placed competitors winning other prize money.
Hot food and drink will be provided for all competitors after the cutting has finished (and a cup of tea and bacon roll beforehand if you get there in time).
Entering the Hedgelaying Competition
Download and complete the entry form above and either email it to richard.hooker@bhha.info
or print it out and return it by post to the address given on the form. Please read the conditions of chainsaw use and note that Novice competitors won't be required or expected to use one.
The form on the right is an “interactive” PDF document where you can type in the boxes. If that doesn't work for you (and it doesn't for many) download the
printable version
instead and fill it in by hand.
There is no entry fee.
Once we have received your entry your name(s) should appear on the confirmed entries page. If you aren't there after a couple of days get
in touch so we can find out what has happened.
Prizes
Prizes will be awarded for the first four places in all classes with seven entries or more:
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Open Class: |
1st – £60 & the Percy Duck Challenge Cup
2nd – £40, 3rd – £25, 4th – £15 |
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Intermediate: |
1st – £50 & the Dugdale Cup
2nd – £35, 3rd – £25, 4th – £10
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Intermediate Pairs: |
1st – £40 & Trophy
2nd – £30, 3rd – £20, 4th – £10
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Novice: |
1st – £40 & Trophy
2nd – £30, 3rd – £20, 4th – £10
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Novice Pairs: |
1st – £40 & Trophy
2nd – £30, 3rd – £20, 4th – £10
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Other awards will include:
- The John Coombes Memorial Shield will be awarded to the best competitor aged under 19 years.
- A cup will be presented to the best local competitor living withing the boundaries of the Blackdown Hills National Londscape.
- A cup will be presented to the best lady competitor in any class.
- The Terry Copp memorial tankard will be awarded to the best Novice competitor trained this season by the BHHA.
- The BHHA "Golden Crook" will be awarded for the best work on a poor length of hedge.
- The Colin Clements Veteran's Trophy for the best competitor over the age of 60.
- The Roger Vickery Regrowth Cup will be presented to the competitor/pair in last year's event judged to have laid the hedge showing the best regrowth.