12SCH On The Road: Ardmore Tractor Pull

Before my parents moved to the quaint little town of Ardmore, TN right on the TN/AL state line a few years ago, I had never in my life heard of the sport or tractor pulling.  If you’ve never heard of it either, the best way I know to explain it is Nascar and Monster Truck Jam had baby and that baby was a really strong tractor.  Confused? Yeah, I was too.  Let me break it down for you a little more.

The tractor pull is a classic test of strength…who can pull something heavy the furthest.  Competitors invest lots of time, money and expertise into making their tractor (or pickup truck…there are classes for those as well) the strongest, toughest piece of equipment possible.    The tractor or truck is then hitched to the front of a “sled.” No one is going to take this particular sled down a hill in the snow however….these sleds are serious business.  They look like a flatbed trailer with a small cab similar to what would be on a backhoe or other heavy equipment on the back.  The sled is equipped with weights that are on a track.  The weights slide forward as the sled moves forward making it increasingly difficult for the tractor or truck to pull it and eventually they come to a hard stop at the end of a straight dirt track.

The contest is divided into classes depending on the size and type of the vehicle doing the pulling and the sled is loaded with different amounts of weights depending on the competitor class.  Competitors must pull the sled from one end of the track to the other end without swerving outside the boundary lines.  The one who pulls the sled the furthest wins.

Now that’s you’re all well-educated on how the sport works, I’ll throw it out there that I’m honestly not into cars or car-racing.  I’m not really into farm equipment and I kind of hate loud engine noises.  I’m basically the least-likely candidate to enjoy this particular event but it’s one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever attended and every time I go, I absolutely can’t look away.  While the Ardmore Pull is the only one I’ve ever been to, The MidSouth Pullers Association puts on a whole long list of events through the year and by all accounts from people I know that have attended, they do a really great job on all of them.
I’ll leave you with some photos and videos from this year’s pull.  If you’re looking for a family friendly event, we highly recommend.  Just bring some earplugs for yourselves and some headphones for your littles.