Pull on Sunday, plow on Monday

Henry Terpstra of Picton with his International Turbo at The County Pull, 2012.

Photos and story by Reg Smith with Bill Samuel
www.quintecar.ca

Lovers of raw horsepower gathered in Picton for the second annual County Pull on the weekend. Tractors, trucks, mud dragsters, and lawn tractors owners from near and far came out to “test their mettle”.

The “County Pull” is a non-profit organization started in 2010 by Picton area tractor pull enthusiasts, under the leadership of president Steve Everall. Picton’s Loch Sloy Business Park hosted the event for the second year and more than 40 volunteers operated the gates and assisted in all aspects of the two-day event.

“Local County people helped to make this a successful event,” said Jacqui Burley, manager, Loch Sloy Business Park and member of the County Pull organizing committee. “We are very pleased with number of participants that have come to pull.”

Pull on Sunday, plow on Monday, has been the motto for tractor pulls since the 60s.

Farmers first pulled heavy equipment with human power, then with horses. In the mid-1860s competitions with horses and barn-doors, using  people to add weight became common place. By 1929 tractors were put to use. Although the sport was recognized then, it did not become popular until the ’50s and ’60s.

The sled looks somewhat like a flatbed semi-trailer with a weight box on top and a skid plate at the front. The weight box starts at the rear of the chassis of the sled and as the tractor moves forward the weight box moves toward the front of the skid plate. The tractor (or lawn tractor) that pulls the farthest wins. Mel Langton, of Ranch Lake, Ont., provided the Terminator sled the tractors pulled at the County event.

Saturday’s competitors pulled tractors of all classes through the mud in hopes of winning cash prizes. Sunday featured lawn tractors, 4×4 truck pulls and mud drags.

Powered by a 4H milkshake, countylive.ca’s Amber Martin earned $1,000 for Hospice Prince Edward winning the County Pull media challenge piloting a 125 Case Tractor donated by Anderson Equipment. The challenge was part of Saturday’s events. County Pull, hosted by Loch Sloy, donated $1,000 to the charity of the winner’s choice.
Visit www.thecountypull.com

Scott Harrison of Anderson Equipment Sales, Steve Everall, president of the County Pull and Jacqui Burley, treasurer of the County Pull thanked media challenge participants Chris Williams of 95.5; Matt Rogers of 96.3, Amber Martin of countylive.ca and Caroline Rolf of Rock 107.