Farm Show Series Part #1 February 22, 2016 01:25PM
It has been nearly ten days since the final tractor powered down the track at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville. After taking some time to think about it all, Miles Beyond 300 will release a series of articles highlighting thoughts and reflection on the days of old in Louisville, as well as where the show might go. Here is Part #1 of the Series. NFMS Recap Part #1


Miles Krieger

My Blog:
Miles Beyond 300
[www.facebook.com]
milesbeyond300@gmail
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 22, 2016 02:13PM
Good write up Miles. Like you I wonder how long they will fight it when it might be easier to change directions totally. Here's to hoping they get it fixed and it goes on.
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 22, 2016 04:33PM
You know I wondered how long it would take for someone closely associated with the pull to speak out kudos to you Miles this was long overdue!
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 22, 2016 08:37PM
Good article on future of the farm show. As we get ready to head to the biggest farm show and pull in the Midwest later this week was just surprised you mentioned all the others and left that one out. Been to 4 of the others mentioned and none compare to the Western Farm Show pull. Over 1000 FFA kids attend and 12 different classes to see and well attended by 4 or 5 thousand people each day. Heard many a people say every year they opt for this pull instead of going to Louisville. Lot of that may be due to the cost difference in the pulls.
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 22, 2016 11:27PM
You are absolutely correct on the pull at the Western Farm Show, and it was simply an oversight. I added it to the list! Thanks for reading the article and support the page.
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 23, 2016 12:19AM
Great article. I really believe that the NFMS needs to take a good hard look at the product that they are charging the fans for. The sport of pulling is really no different than any other form of entertainment. When the fans pays $40 dollar (or $15) they expect more than what this pull is giving them now. Pulling is competing with many forms of entertainment, they have to make the shows exciting and fast paced. When you break pulling down to the simplest form there is really only about 15-20 seconds of action and 4-6 minutes between pulls. Pulling needs to engage the fans with visual and audio entertainment if they want to attract and keep young fans. It just seems to me that there are just more and more forms of action type entertainment that pulling is competing with. As fans of the sport we all love pulling, however that can cloud our view of what the sport is, we love it so we think everyone should love it like we do. We stop trying to improve the product because we the fans are willing to sit and watch a smoke tube being repaired a couple times a show or the sled breaks and we sit and wait, or we sit and wait for the show to start an hour after the advertised starting time. One little bandage will not stop the bleeding.


Dick Morgan

www.PULLOFF.com
Independent Pulling News
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 23, 2016 01:23AM
Quote
Good article
Good article on future of the farm show. As we get ready to head to the biggest farm show and pull in the Midwest later this week was just surprised you mentioned all the others and left that one out. Been to 4 of the others mentioned and none compare to the Western Farm Show pull. Over 1000 FFA kids attend and 12 different classes to see and well attended by 4 or 5 thousand people each day. Heard many a people say every year they opt for this pull instead of going to Louisville. Lot of that may be due to the cost difference in the pulls.

I suppose it's all in how you look at things. IMO the western farm show is a parallel to the nfms. It is without question held in the poorest facility for pulling and pits. Concessions are overpriced as they are in all major arena's. The show drags along in which is in good part due to the facilities and pits. Classes are filled with nearly the same line up year to year. Ticket prices aren't quite as bad and the inclusion of the FFA is a great thing and also helps to fill some seats in the lower ring. I'm not sure why a show of this caliber doesn't fill any seats in the upper ring? However you look at it it's a shame the western farm show doesn't have a better facility available to put on a show in.
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 23, 2016 01:57AM
I think all the indoor events invite about the same tractors or trucks each year and that makes them all different. Cloverdale all NTPA, but is adding classes and everyone hooks twice so a lot of same vehicles both days. Louisville been about the same for years and hadn't added any new classes for years with the finals the same tractors twice. Gordyville is about all the same and gets redundant with smoke after smoke with most classes about the same with little rule changes and they all hook 2 or 3 times. This more of pull for competitors than spectators. Pull in Lincoln not much as lesser classes and same stuff every year. Western Farm Show has added classes last two years and hooks about 60 each night which is a forth more than Louisville and get done at a decent time. Everyone just hooks once and track a lot better last two years and winners came from first, middle and late hooks. With a $66,000 purse probally 2nd biggest behind Louisville in that category. Good pull to sit and watch and I like having the vehicles in the arena and enjoy watching track crew work them around. This pull has come a long ways since it's beginning 6 years ago and hope this is not the last. It's a big building that holds about 17,000 people and the bottom and suites hold 5000. With good weather forecasted this year they may have to open up the top as they came close last year on Saturday night. If this is last year may opt to go back to Louisville again. A lot of people you see at pull use to go to Louisville but get there fix in KC.
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 23, 2016 04:14AM
Midwest Winter Nationals purse is over $80,000.
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 23, 2016 07:54AM
Quote
All the same
I think all the indoor events invite about the same tractors or trucks each year and that makes them all different. Cloverdale all NTPA, but is adding classes and everyone hooks twice so a lot of same vehicles both days. Louisville been about the same for years and hadn't added any new classes for years with the finals the same tractors twice. Gordyville is about all the same and gets redundant with smoke after smoke with most classes about the same with little rule changes and they all hook 2 or 3 times. This more of pull for competitors than spectators. Pull in Lincoln not much as lesser classes and same stuff every year. Western Farm Show has added classes last two years and hooks about 60 each night which is a forth more than Louisville and get done at a decent time. Everyone just hooks once and track a lot better last two years and winners came from first, middle and late hooks. With a $66,000 purse probally 2nd biggest behind Louisville in that category. Good pull to sit and watch and I like having the vehicles in the arena and enjoy watching track crew work them around. This pull has come a long ways since it's beginning 6 years ago and hope this is not the last. It's a big building that holds about 17,000 people and the bottom and suites hold 5000. With good weather forecasted this year they may have to open up the top as they came close last year on Saturday night. If this is last year may opt to go back to Louisville again. A lot of people you see at pull use to go to Louisville but get there fix in KC.

You forgot to mention the big screen in KC!!!
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 23, 2016 09:52AM
You can hook more tractors in Kc when the track is half the length of the rest of the indoor pulls. Not much to watch on a 175 ft track
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 23, 2016 10:09AM
About 210 feet in the beach. A lot of 205, 206 didn't make pull off. About 30 feet shorter than Louisville or Gordyville but they do good job with new track and sled the last 2 years. Gordyville distance may be on top of sandpile.
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1993 February 23, 2016 10:51AM
1993 was the last major change of the NFMS format. Instead of having 5 sessions of stand alone classes, they completely revamped the format had adopted a prelims/finals system. Saturday afternoon's classes were stand alone, but the other weekday sessions fed into finals. It was new and fresh. They may want to consider another paradigm shift if they want to save the event.
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 23, 2016 11:42AM
Miles,
I enjoyed your article and look forward to reading more, and I 100% agree with all aspects in your story.


Eric Prewitt
The Prewitt Pulling Team
Public Relations for
The Pulling Radio Network
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Re: Farm Show Series Part #1 February 24, 2016 12:43AM
Great article Miles. I didn't attend this years NFMS and it was the first time in many years that I didn't go. At first I was disappointed that I wasn't there but after seeing and hearing of a few incidents that went on I don't feel so bad about missing it. So many things could be changed there but most all of them have been touched on at some point in here. Guys like us that have a passion for this sport need to band together and make sure the NFMS pull makes a turn for the better so that future generations can enjoy it the same as we did back in the "good ol days".
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