Yesterday afternoon a town about 50 some miles from me had a antique pull scheduled..I have pulled in this town several times and there was always plenty of pullers..Well,much to everyone's surprise not a single tractor showed up to pull..I feel sorry for the people that planned it,the concession people, and for the sled crew as they are great people..They bought 3 hamburgers and went back home..In 58 years of pulling I have never heard of this happening..It could be the future.
Yesterday was kind of the perfect storm..
1-It was very hot and humid..You couldn't drink enough water..
2-The price of fuel is really hurting things..
3-In the past few years several long time pullers have passed or retired due to health-etc.
4-We don't have enough young pullers!
5-After 3 months of rain and cool weather it suddenly quit and got up to 95-100 degrees..
Everyone is racing to get the beans planted, hay cut, and the wheat harvested...Its drying out way to fast.
I had one pulling friend that a week ago had 5000 acres of beans to plant.
Yesterday evening I pulled my 1466 IH at Dover,MO 132 miles to the north...We had 7 classes and only 37 hooks...I counted up nearly 20 pullers missing...Lots were farming, some were broke and waiting on parts ,while others are running a limited schedule because of high fuel prices..There was a decent crowd of spectators.
I was the very first puller down the track and pulled 322 ft..My GPS showed me at 11.7-11.8 mph and the sled said 11.9 mph..I kept the option hook and the distance held up against 6 other tough tractors..One good tractor didnt make it as 2 miles away from home he saw that his puller had a flat rear tire...He went back home with the puller and just came to watch.
Yesterday was kind of the perfect storm..
1-It was very hot and humid..You couldn't drink enough water..
2-The price of fuel is really hurting things..
3-In the past few years several long time pullers have passed or retired due to health-etc.
4-We don't have enough young pullers!
5-After 3 months of rain and cool weather it suddenly quit and got up to 95-100 degrees..
Everyone is racing to get the beans planted, hay cut, and the wheat harvested...Its drying out way to fast.
I had one pulling friend that a week ago had 5000 acres of beans to plant.
Yesterday evening I pulled my 1466 IH at Dover,MO 132 miles to the north...We had 7 classes and only 37 hooks...I counted up nearly 20 pullers missing...Lots were farming, some were broke and waiting on parts ,while others are running a limited schedule because of high fuel prices..There was a decent crowd of spectators.
I was the very first puller down the track and pulled 322 ft..My GPS showed me at 11.7-11.8 mph and the sled said 11.9 mph..I kept the option hook and the distance held up against 6 other tough tractors..One good tractor didnt make it as 2 miles away from home he saw that his puller had a flat rear tire...He went back home with the puller and just came to watch.