A Suffolk farmer has triumphed in a national farm fitness competition.
Richard Peck was crowned winner in the mixed over 40s category of Farmers Weekly Britain’s Fittest Farmer (BFF) competition.
The annual event - held at Farm Fitness in Great Dunmow - is now in its sixth year and welcomes farmers from across the country who compete for three coveted titles.
Richard - who works on a friend's arable and cattle farm and recently started sheep farming - said community was what motivated him to take part in fitness training.
He enjoyed the strength-based challenges and found the 2km obstacle race the most difficult task, he said.
“Everyone is happy and excited to be there, so it’s nice to get around that group of people. It makes working out so much easier and makes a lot of the stress of the day go away,” he said.
He prepared for the event with a mixture of farmwork and training, he said,.
“I do a quite a lot of lifting on the farm during the day and crossfit training, which had prepared me for today," he said after the event.
“I’m pretty sore now, because I’m old, and I’m in the 40-plus category, but I’ve managed to keep things together and I am very happy I have won.”
Britain’s Fittest Farmer - which was launched in 2018 as a fun way to engage in discussion about farmers' physical and mental wellbeing - was sponsored by Ascenso Tyres UK, Budweiser, Graham’s, Kubota, Pottinger, Segway Powersports and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
The event was supported by Farm Fitness, The Farming Community Network (FCN), The Farm Safety Foundation and The Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI).
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