Changing of the Guard at Full Pull Magazine
Published January 13, 2012 09:36AM, by Jake Morgan
It was a bittersweet Farm Show for me last year. And it’s going to be really strange sitting there with my camera this February. My father and I have been going to the show since the mid 1990’s and in 1998 I applied and got accepted for a media pass. My father and I have had wonderful seats in the media area ever since, and I’ve sat next to Photo Joe for all those years.
Moving into the media area had the advantage of being the best seat in the house, but more importantly I got to meet and sit next to Photo Joe. I knew of Joe through his magazine, Full Pull Magazine. I had emailed him a time or two, but I had never met him in person. Honestly I didn’t really know what to expect, because technically, we were competition. The Pulloff Page (as it was known then) had free classifieds and Joe had his own classifieds section in the magazine and I was probably cutting into his business. Joe sold his photos and we put or photos on the page for free. Honestly, I was a little intimidated and a little worried to meet Joe. I expected him to give me an earful or possibly the cold shoulder.
That first year, I got down to the media area early and amazingly I got a seat in the corner of the front row. As luck would have it I was right next to Joe. Now Joe had the most seniority in the media section and so I assumed that it was organized by seniority. I was ready and willing to move if anyone more senior asked. Thankfully nobody else cared and I got to sit next Joe.
About half way through the first session, Joe asked me what settings I was shooting photos on. I was a novice and I had my camera on Auto; he took my camera and set it up for me. Those were some of the best photos I’d ever taken and I was extremely thankful for the advice. He asked me how I made any money with the website and why I did the page, and I told him I just loved the sport. I guess he liked my answer.
Since that very first day Joe took me under his wing and gave me some of the best photo pointers. We had great conversations and Joe and his wife Carol quickly became good friends. Every year since that first year I’ve looked forward to my trip down to Louisville, and I’ve enjoyed all the time I’ve spent sitting next to Joe.
I was extremely saddened last winter when Joe announced to my father and I that 2011 would be his last year doing the magazine and the Farm Show. It was quickly evident that this was the end of an amazing era for the farm show and Joe and the Magazine.
It’s been over a dozen years sitting next to Joe, and each and every year we sat there for five sessions and we spent just about every minute talking. Whether it was about: his history in the sport, his time working at Cat, his latest auction finds, his church, his family, fishing, or Arizona… it seems like I could just sit there and talk with Joe for hours and hours about anything and everything.
Joe always puts God first and family second, and everything else after that. How do you not like a guy like that? Joe and Carol are strong Christians and were a wonderful comfort to me in the year I got divorced. They helped remind me to keep my focus on God and that all things work for his glory. I remember hugging them both good bye that year, and thinking how blessed I was that I’ve gotten to know them so well over the years. A few years later when I told them I found a strong Christian woman and was getting married again, they were sincerely joyous and made sure I left the Farm Show that year with a wedding gift. They live their faith. They aren’t perfect, but they know who comes first in their lives. Joe even hand-copied the Bible into a notebook as a way to deepen his understanding and time with God.
Back when I first got to know Joe, he had two legs and a great sense of humor. After Joe’s powered parachute accident, I wondered how Joe’s spirits would be. I wondered if he’d even be able to come to the Farm Show. Amazingly Joe walked into the Farm Show on a prosthetic, and he didn’t seem fazed one bit. He walked down the track with a slight limp and the signature grin that Joe often has. I’m sure there were hard times with the amputation, but somehow losing a leg made Joe and his testimony even stronger. Joe relied on God and turned a horrible event into an amazing blessing. That’s just the kind of guy Joe is.
It’s funny; God has even decided to put Joe and Carol on my heart when I mow my lawn for some reason. I’m not sure why, but I can’t mow my backyard without wondering how Joe and Carol are doing and saying a prayer for them. The grass grows fast around here so I mow at least once a week, sometimes twice, and I think of Joe and Carol every time. I say a prayer for them as I mow and I give thanks for putting them in my life.
When I think of pulling, I think about the community this sport has. I think about all the people I’ve met since I started this page in 1997. And when I think of all Joe’s time covering the sport, I can’t help but think about all the people he’s interviewed and written about. He was here for the sports golden years; he has practically covered pulling since the beginning. His experience is a fact I’ve often been reminded me of when he asks me if I saw “so and so” pull at the farm show back in the day. A lot of his memories predate my time at the show and even though I’m starting my 15th year with this page, it’s just a drop in the bucket compared with Joe and the Full Pull Magazine.
This sport is losing a valuable and longtime member, actually an entire family: Joe, his ever-faithful wife, and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, Carol have covered more events than anyone in this motor sport. Their daughter Gina has been involved from time to time in various capacities and their son AJ has done the design and layout of the magazine for years and AJ’s company also prints the magazine. It’s truly been a family affair for a number of years. In fact they are a family that set the standards in a lot of areas in pulling: excellent photography and videography, an independent magazine, full color magazine, and a magazine that covered everything from ATPA to PPL to NTPA to the Outlaws, to garden tractors, and anything in between.
A look back at the history of this motor sport and you could make a strong argument that Joe made the ATPA. His coverage gave them an international spotlight second to none in this sport.
Now I know that Joe wasn’t perfect. In fact, he probably rubbed plenty of pullers the wrong way. That happens in all forms of media and it definitely happens in our little pulling community, too. In fact, I’ve had some of the nicest pullers get mad at me from time to time, and Joe has been at this much longer than me. Whether it was something he wrote or something he said to them Joe didn’t pull any punches. I’d argue that that’s the nature of good journalism. Joe always stated facts and his opinion and he let the chips fall where they may. Whether you like or dislike what Joe wrote or said, you can guarantee that he stated what he honestly believed.
The sport owes a lot to Photo Joe, and Carol, and the sport is much better because of their decades of involvement. I’m thankful that the Full Pull Magazine will go on, and I wish luck to the new owners (my father met the new owners Jen and Charlie in Gordyville and said they are wonderful people, and I'm looking forward to meeting them in Louisville). Joe, I know many will miss you and Carol and I know you both will be missed greatly by my father and me. It will be a strange Farm Show without the two of you.
The entire pulling community owes you a huge thank you for your dedication to the sport, and I extend my personal thank you for your contribution to the sport and your friendship.
Jake Morgan
Owner, PULLOFF.COM
Independent Pulling News
This page is a free service. The cost is covered out of my pocket. It takes a great deal of time and a fair amount of money to keep this website going. Donations for: photos, classified ads, forum discussion, etc... are appreciated.
Side Note: We are no longer accepting PayPal donations. They have changed their terms of service and stated they would fine PayPal users for spreading "misinformation" and "hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory". PayPal did not provide definitions for some of these vague terms. Woke corporate policies regarding "misinformation" could result in an automatic fine of $2,500 which would have been removed directly from the customer’s PayPal account. PayPal did backdown from some of their policies but quietly implemented portions of them in later terms of service. A financial institute has no right to monitor social media accounts or speech. This is unacceptable and I'll no longer do business with PayPal.
Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2012 08:29AM by Jake Morgan.
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