Teamwork fuels new Britain’s Fittest Farmer challenge

There was no shortage of sweat, sore muscles or team spirit as farmers went head-to-head in the inaugural Britain’s Fittest Farm Team competition.

Introduced to the 2026 contest alongside the four individual categories, the Team event added a fresh element, allowing four people – two men and two women – to work together to win the brand new Britain’s Fittest Farmer (BFF) title.

See also: Young farmer schemes help bring fresh approach to farming

The Farm Team category builds on the message at the heart of the BFF event – to bring people in the agricultural community together and kick-start the conversation about physical and mental wellbeing in an inclusive and accessible way.

Getting off the farm, even for a short time, can help put things into perspective and break the isolation. In that spirit, the event brought plenty of energy and farm-fuelled solidarity as the teams took on a worm challenge, deadlifts and a tug of war, cheered on by crowds who had stayed in the sunshine to watch the action.

The benefits of Britain’s Fittest Farm Team go beyond the physical challenge, pointed out Rachel Davey from the Farming Community Network, charity partner for the event.

“A good chat with someone in the same boat as you can be invaluable. We all need to feel a part of something and know we have people to turn to when life gets tough or tricky,” she said.

We caught up with some of the entrants, including the winning team, to hear how the day at Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Farm Shop went.

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‘A brilliant day’

“It was a brilliant day, really good fun, really hard, especially that stupid worm. That nearly killed all of us,” said Kate Moore, 44, from Yorkshire, one of the four members of the winning Nuffield team.

The worm challenge tested the team’s ability to work together, with everyone taking turns to encourage each other. Kate recalls how, just as one person found their feet, another would need a bit of a push.

Although she hadn’t known everyone on her team before the competition, the challenges soon brought them together. “We definitely bonded over sweat,” she said.

All four members of the winning team set personal bests in the deadlift: 190kg for Tom Kinnear, 180kg for Ed Towers, 140kg for Vicky Scott and 130kg for Kate, beating her previous best of 120kg. “So maybe your weights are wrong,” joked Kate.

Fitness was already part of the team’s routine, so there was no need to train specifically for the competition. Kate and her sister Vicky, 49, go to the gym at 6am four days a week, while Kate also plays hockey twice a week.

“It’s like our drug,” she said. Her husband can tell when she’s missed a session “I get a bit on edge if I’ve not been to the gym. It’s time to release.”

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Winning mindset

Kate’s competitive streak was fuelled by her and Vicky’s trainer, whose message was clear: winning was the only option.

Although she believes the day would have been brilliant regardless of the result, she admits: “Well, it wouldn’t have been fine [if we hadn’t won] because I’m very competitive.”

The tug of war was a highlight, especially facing a team whose members had competed for GB.

“They were so confident in their ability, and we beat them both times,” Kate said.

Kate’s message to anyone considering entering is not to be put off by their fitness level. While some teams will be going all out to win, she says the competition is just as much about the atmosphere and having fun with your teammates.

“You might hurt the next day, but you definitely won’t regret it because it was a real positive, happy day,” she said.

Twice the action

James Rogers, 34, from Hertfordshire, whose team finished third, took on both the individual and team competitions. “I just think it’s more fun doing both. You’re making the day more worthwhile,” he said.

For James, the appeal of competing as a team lies in the shared experience and having each other’s backs. “At the end of the day, I don’t really care exactly how you do. You’re out there trying your best for your team.

“When you’re hurting, your teammates are hurting with you, and you have to remember that and dig deep. There’s a sense of camaraderie in going through it together.”

Thirty-six-year-old Charlotte Merson from North Yorkshire, whose team finished second, also competed in the solo competition and won the women’s under-40s category.

Having embraced both BFF experiences, Charlotte believes the team event could become more popular than the individual competition, particularly for those who find competing alone daunting.

“It was absolutely about having fun, doing something together within farming,” she said.

“It’s such an isolated industry; it’s very rare you get to come together, compete and do something together as a team. And that was just a lovely, lovely thing to do.”

The event also offered a welcome boost after a difficult year for agriculture. “I needed to see something really positive and people in the agricultural community coming together for something good.

“It’s just been an incredibly negative year in agriculture. I think that gave me a really good, positive day for a change.”