Pedal Tractor Pulls Put Kids in the Driver’s Seat

[Abby Brown] The next generation of tractor pullers are getting their start at the fair right here, right now. But we're not talking about horsepower. We're talking about kid power.

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Tell me about what's going on today.

[Katie Cordray, Bloomfield] So we have the kids Pedal Tractor Pull. Ages 3 through 12 can join. Anyone who places 1st through 3rd in our 4-12 year olds will advance on to the state Pedal Pull.

[Man 1] Push, push, push, push, push, push, push.

[Katie] The kids will get on the tractor, they'll pedal their farthest distance, and whoever pedals the farthest in the first three places.

[Abby] But it's not just pedaling, right? There's a little bit more of a challenge to this than some people realize. Tell me about that.

[Mike Cordray, Bloomfield] So how this works. The sled is built with an axle, turns a drive chain which carries the box up the sled, and as it goes up, it spins and the weight goes up on the sled, making it challenging for the contestant. How we know how far they go. We got a little meter that treads the tire and counts the distance. So a full pull is 40 foot. So we get to the end of the sled, and it's 40 foot, I'll say full pull.

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[Abby] Do you do anything to prepare and get in shape for this?

[Canon McGrew, Henderson] Yes.

[Abby] What do you do?

[Canon] We have our own pulling thread.

[Abby] You do at home? Your own? And so are you out there every morning before the sun comes up, just pushing those petals?

[Canon] Yeah.

[Abby] That's what I thought.

(Indistinct chatter)

Tell me about your trophy.

[Paisley Klein, Hartley] I got first place.

[Abby] You got first place. How far did you go?

[Paisley] Full pull.

[Abby] A full pull! Have you done this before?

(Shakes head yes)

[Abby] You have? How many times?

[Paisley] I don't know. But I have gotten to nationals, and I got second place.

[Abby] No way.

Mason, tell me what you've done at Tractor Pedal Pull before.

[Mason Curtis, Fonda] I've been in state and I've been in nationals.

[Abby] What would you tell kids here today that want to go to nationals?

[Mason] Pedal your hardest.

[Abby] Have you done the pedal tractor pull before?

[Kymree Verbick, Ringgold County] No.

[Abby] This is your first time?

[Kymree] I do lawnmower pulling, basically, like tractor pulling, but you just are on a lawn mower.

[Abby] You think you got this in the bag?

[Kymree] Yeah.

[Abby] Blue ribbon?

[Kymree] Yep.

[Abby] Ella, you and I talked almost a decade ago at this same event here at the fair. You did great that year.

[Ella Waske, Mount Ayr] Yeah.

[Abby] So this year you're not competing. So what's going on this year?

[Ella] I'm here with my sister and my dad. My sister's competing, and then we're gonna help out.

[Abby] Have you given any wisdom to your younger sister?

[Ella] Go fast, pedal hard.

[Abby] Do you think we've got some future tractor pullers coming today?

[Katie] Absolutely. Our boys make comments that they want the big tractors. I'm sure they're not the only ones.