Buying, maintaining and fueling these tractors isn’t cheap. Trying to use them on the farm would be impractical.īecause of this, the sport is not very accessible. Ultimately, Summers said these machines are really only made to run for about 15-20 seconds before they have to cool off. These after-market alterations include adding roll cages to the tops for safety, swapping out parts in favor of lighter versions, and reinforcing the undercarriage. “It’s been altered way too much,” Summers said. Most pullers still come from a farming background, but the tractors they compete with are purely for sport and can’t go back to the farm. Antique pulls still occur, but for the most part, the sport has shifted to the higher horsepower machinery that competed in Sedalia last weekend. “It just gets in your blood,” Summers said.īack then, he pulled antique tractors, but switched to higher-horsepower tractors as he got older. He grew up on a farm, always around tractors, and started pulling at age 15. Top pulls at Sedalia stretched about 350 feet.īrad Summers, president of Missouri State Tractor Pullers Association (MSTPA), has been pulling for about 45 years. Usually a puller has one run and only goes a few hundred feet. Their drivers, dressed in fire-resistant jumpsuits, bring the motor up to speed and then the tractor (or truck) lurches forward.Īs the machine pulls, a mechanism slides from back to front across the sled to make the weight more difficult to pull until eventually the truck or tractor sputters out or can no longer pull the weight. Highly modified tractors and trucks are hooked to a sled. (Cami Koons | Flatland)įor those like young Emmy who are new to the sport, here’s how it works: The Blackaby family doesn’t pull, but has made a family tradition out of attending the events. It’s one of their favorite family activities, and this one is special as it’s 2-year-old Emmy’s first pull. “We come every chance we get,” Bobby Blackaby said. Three generations of the Blackaby family drove up from Clinton, Missouri, to watch the recent pull in Sedalia. Some of the older generations still compete as well. When they became old enough, they’d take over driving for their dad or grandpa, who still come to the competitions to help with maintenance and support. Most pullers have been around the sport their whole lives. In the 1950s and 1960s the sport grew in popularity and continues to have events in agricultural regions across the globe. The first known tractor pulls took place in 1929 in Bowling Green, Missouri, and Vaughnsville, Ohio. In fact, Missouri can lay some claim to being the home of the tractor pull. Tractors gradually replaced horses on most farms in the early 20th century and soon the new machines found their way into friendly competition too. It was a literal demonstration of “horsepower.” At some point, they started competing with other local farmers to see who had the strongest horses. Proud Heritageīefore the advent and popularity of tractors, farmers used horses – often massive Belgians and Clydesdales – to pull equipment through the field. ![]() “I don’t think you’re gonna find anybody with a bigger heart than a truck or tractor puller,” said long-time puller Darrell Hendrix. However gruff the sport may seem from afar, a deeper look at its participants reveals a tradition grounded in friendly competition, family heritage and Midwestern generosity. Welcome to a great rural American tradition – a tractor pull. The tractor has pulled as far as it can before breaking down or spinning out. They see a cherry red glow from an exhaust pipe, and smoke billows out of the top.Īs front wheels pop off the ground, a tractor lurches forward and a driver bounces in the seat to stay steady. SEDALIA, Missouri – From metal stadium seats, onlookers hear a motor roar to life. ![]() Sponsor Message Become a Flatland sponsor
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