Over 100 tractors to take part in second 'Rudolph's Run' between Keighley and Skipton in Yorkshire for charity

Dairy farmer brothers Andrew and Ben Walker of Coppy Hill Farm, Laycock near Keighley are two of the many from Lothersdale Agricultural Discussion Group that came up with Rudolph’s Run that takes in the towns of Keighley and Skipton at either end of the run and all points in between with tractors festooned in fairy lights, Christmas trees and Santa costumes.

Andrew describes as having been blown away by the public response to coming out to watch their first effort in 2021.

“I’ve never seen so many sets of pyjamas in my life! Everyone came out onto their doorsteps when they started seeing it coming or heard it. As it was our first year we didn’t really know what to expect and whether there would be any crowds but people were stood all the way along the route. It was amazing and gave everyone, us and them, a real spirit of Christmas and community.

“We just thought it seemed a really good way of raising the profile of farmers and a really good thing to do at Christmas. We’re in quite an urban area around here. This connects us with our customers and on a charity front we are raising funds too for Manorlands Hospice and Airedale Hospital.

“The tractor at the front is a red tractor, a Massey Ferguson, with a big red nose as Rudolph and is driven by Ian Throup of Woofa Bank, Silsden.

“This year every driver has a Santa hat, special Lothersdale Agricultural Discussion Group Rudolph Run hats sponsored by Carrs Billington. We’ve had fantastic support from Ripon Farm Services too.

“I’m not sure how many of us will be in full Santa outfits. It’s a big enough job for us farmers getting our tractors clean and ready, let alone ourselves, but they will all be lit up to the max, covered in fairy lights, trees and inflatables. I had an inflatable Rudolph tied to the roof last year and another lad came along with a Unimog and a flat deck trailer on the back with a Christmas Tree with lights on it.

Andrew said Rudolph’s Run has had a real impact for the good, at the Lothersdale Agricultural Discussion Group, for charity and for the community.

“I think we’ve created a monster. It seems to be taking over. It does go with ethos of the group. We’re about raising profile of farmer and farming and we’re there to have a laugh. Raise a bit of money and it raises the profile of the group for other potential members.

Agricultural Discussion Groups are traditionally held in the winter months and don’t generally amount to much more than their title, an opportunity to discuss, to hear guest speakers and have a drink and bite to eat. This has been quite a departure.

Andrew said the group had been inspired to launch Rudolph’s Run by a farmer who had been guest speaker last November.

“Olly Harrison from Liverpool said he’d done a similar run the year before and he had raised an outstanding amount of money for charity. We thought it sounded a good idea.

“After the meeting we said we should do this, and put plans in motion there and then. It’s our first go at things and a real group effort. There’s a cluster of us including myself, Ben, Rob Broderick from Denton, John Houseman from Blubberhouses and Becki Leach from Allerton who holds it all together and does all the difficult bits like contacting the police. She’s pretty good at sorting stuff out.

“Last year we had 50 tractors and we are already looking at doubling that next Sunday. When other group members and other farmers saw how good it was, the question was immediately are we doing it again? Followed by, my mate wants to come with his tractor.

Rudolph’s Run starts from the Walkers’ Coppy Hill Farm at Laycock at 6pm this year, half an hour earlier than last year and the run will take in Keighley, Silsden and Riddlesden before finishing in Skipton.

Andrew knows what he wants to achieve with the run, how he wants it to look.

“We want that wow factor of all 100-plus tractors being in one continuous procession, all lit up, all looking great. We’ve the slow ones at the front to set the pace with the more modern tractors at the back. What that means is if they need to fill any gap in front because of other traffic and turnings they can do it easier.

“Last year we tried to go to as many villages on the route. Silsden was somewhere we really wanted to go but struggled to knit it in. This year’s is a slightly different route so we can take in Riddlesden, pop down into Silsden and then come back out of it.

“We always thought Skipton High Street would be busy and make a great finale. We have group members who marshal tractors at junctions and others who have buckets for donations, but we have also set up a Just Giving page that works tremendously well.

“We have had some very generous donations and some really humbling comments where people have seen us and weren’t expecting to. We do a lap of the hospital and one lady put message on that she had just had a baby, she had stood in window and watched us all go by.

Andrew said that he and Ben had started attending the Lothersdale Agricultural Discussion Group, that meets on the second Wednesday in the month from October to May, around ten years ago.

“We’ve really pushed on with the group in the last few years. We have had some really high-profile speakers and try to get a wild card every year. In the recent past we’ve had TV presenter and Isle of Man TT racer Guy Martin and farmer Michael Eaves from Glastonbury. We try to have a big name speaker at an early meeting, to attract new membership and we have taken a big leap in the past 5-6 years. Rudolph’s Run is another spin-off from it.

“Check us out on our Lothersdale Discussion Group Facebook page for full details of where the run will be and when, plus full details of the JustGiving page.