what keeps us pullers or fans February 20, 2009 06:22AM
my son ,a freshman,has a paper to write.i think it would be a very good topic for discusion.the topic is about a hobbie ,why do you do it,and why will you continue to do it.he asked me why i pulled tractors,and how come i enjoy it so much?i have thought about this most of the day now.i think my answer will be a few parts./this is something i did with my father,and brought us very close,in spirit and thought.now i have the oportunity to watch my son grow into a man also./a feeling of pride,not in winning ,or being upset when thing dont go so good.but learning that decisions made on or off the track matter./all the friendship's made over the years,and just the conversation about memories and the sport we love to participate in./the passing of knowledge and experiance from one generation to the next is absolutly priceless./and i would say that to most pullers,nothing is impossible,we will take two steps forward and back but realize were still going forward,and do not ever tell a pullewr it cant or wont work,you will be proven wrong.well i have some things to do ,so i 'll check back this evening.
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Re: what keeps us pullers or fans February 20, 2009 12:33PM
From a fan's point of view:

My parents took my brother and I to a bunch of local pulls when we were kids, with the ultimate being in Syracuse at the state fair. It didn't matter if the pits were at a county fair, or the state fair, I would get excited as soon as those tractors started blowing smoke rings in the air. Seeing the guys I saw around here (Boxler's, Teelaak's, Rockefeller's) pull against the big guys in Syracuse only made it more exciting to me.

What I love most about pulling is that, despite what is being said on pulling messageboards, pullers seem to be part of one big family. If someone needed a part to get back out on the track, there are many out back who love to help out. Pullers are pretty proud of their machines, as they should be. There is very little money to be made when pulling, and, without a sponsorship, pullers are pulling for pride. That is what is so great about the sport.

The best part about being a fan is that pullers are so accesible. I was a huge fan of Danny Dean, the Banter Bros., Brett Berg, and Coleman Wheatley when I was a kid. They all had time to show me their pullers and allow me to take pics of their tractors. Where else do you get treatment like that?

Now, with the technology of these tractors and how far the sport has come, these machines, and their drivers, are more accessible than ever. If I were a kid, I would eat this all up. The best of the best at a town near you.....It can't get much better than that.

Danny
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Re: what keeps us pullers or fans February 21, 2009 08:55AM
I would have to say, that its about taking pride in the farm. As a kid growing up your "big tractor " was your bragging rights among the other farm kids. compared to cars and pickup trucks it just seemed like the tractor could pull anything. So naturally you wanted to go to the tractor pull and cheer on your brand. When I got older and started pulling farm stock, getting the tractors ready for the fair was a big deal to do with your friends. Most of our reluctant fathers actually ended up not minding the kid taking the tractor, because it really did look nice to see some armor all and wax and chrome on the tractor! Later on as we outgrew farmstock, it was still a great source of pride to build a tractor that represented the farm. I could go on for a while, but thats it in a nutshell. There must be others who feel like this, because you sure see a lot of pullers with their farm name on the side.
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Re: what keeps us pullers or fans February 22, 2009 04:45AM
Nice topic. I'm only a fan, but I think the one key word is FAMILY. Not only with speaking of children, parents, and grandparents, but the pulling family as well. My grandparents took me to the local fair to watch the pulls since I can remember. Every year that was the one day of the fair I looked forward to. Not only to see the pulls, but to spend time with my grandparents. Even as I got older I always made sure we went to the pulls together. When my grandfather passed away I still made sure my grandmother and I went to the pulls. My grandmother passed away in December. She hadn't felt up to going to the pulls in the last few years, but last summer she made it to one more. Each and every time I am at a pull it brings me back to those wonderful memories of me being at the pulls with my grandparents.

As for the pulling family, how can you not consider them family when you spend most of the summer with them. It's great to see other teams helping each other when an unfortunate situation happens. I witnessed this at a show this year. A team had an issue and another team helped them the entire afternoon getting their tractor out for the evening session. It's a fierce competition on the track, but it seems when it's over everyone is one big family.

Thanks for posting this. I'm proud to be a fan of such a family oriented sport. I'm sure we all have similar stories that I shared. When I'm at a pull it's nice to see families enjoying themselves both young and old. I wonder how many great stories have been passed down to future generations of pulling fans. Happy Pulling!!!!
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old time stories February 22, 2009 09:50AM
While we are on the subject of passing things down from generation to generation.. There has to be hundreds of great tales to be told.. One thing particular that comes to mind is when the complete back axle and wheel broke off of JD Superstock at BG probably in the early '80's sitting there as a young boy, I just could not believe what I saw. That is one of the many stories that has stuck with me and I share with my son now.. It is what makes pulling, pulling.. the time and stories that you can share with your children and they to will pass along to their children...
Another cherished moment that I have since my mother has passed away was seeing this cooler when the lid was open and it said "SHOW US YOUR ????" And turning to my mother and asking her, "What is ????" And about 30 people in the stands busting out laughing... Those were the days....


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