Terry Blackbourn roared down the track in his tractor, Extremely Armed And Dangerous, at the 46th annual National Tractor Pulling Championships, pulling the roughly 60,000 pound sled more than 314 feet, taking first place in his division.
Blackbourn, a 30-year veteran of the tractor pulls, made the trek to Bowling Green from Shullsburg, Wisc., with his son, Josh, who placed second alongside his father in the 8000 lb Open Super Stock class out of a total of 14 competitors.
“He’s mad he couldn’t beat me, but he knows I’m more experienced,” Blackbourn said about his son.
Experience, along with making sure the tractor gets all the necessary work done to it to prepare for the pulls, is the key to getting the best distance, Blackbourn said.
Blackbourns’ class, along with three others including super farm tractors and two-wheel drive trucks, participated in the first session Friday to kick-off the four-day event that ended Sunday.
During the course of the weekend, 300 contestants competed, drawing crowds from all over the country and Canada, said Terry Andryc, media director for the pulling championship.
Each year, the National Tractor Pulling Championships brings in between 50,000 and 60,000 people, Andryc said.
“The tractor pulls are a tradition,” Mayor Richard Edwards said. “Bowling Green is known throughout the U.S. for the tractor pulls and it has a huge following.”
However, tractors and trucks aren’t the only attractions offered at the event.
Thursday night, the tractor pull began with a fan appreciation night that included a free concert performed by The Nashville Crush Band, Andryc said. The event also included a trade show and tractor museum.
“We try to make it a family event so the whole family can appreciate it,” he said.
Gary Moore, who travelled to Bowling Green from Louisville, Ky., has appreciated the tractor pulls since 1982.
“I first heard about it because one of my friends were competing in it and I’ve come up ever since,” Moore said.
Moore said what attracts him to the event is the horse power and the speed of the tractors.
Alcohol also brings people out, Moore said.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s in a tank or in a can,” he said.
From a puller’s perspective, Blackbourn said he believes the event draws such big crowds because it’s a national event and “all the action happens right in front of you.”
While the experience impacts the fans and contestants, the National Tractor Pulling Championships impacts the town.
The National Tractor pulls cause a huge economic impact on the town from admission to hotel reservations and purchasing food from stores and restaurants, Andryc said.
Advanced admission into the event alone is $20. With its normal attendance rates, the pulls would bring in a minimum of $1 million from just ticket purchases if 50,000 people attended.(can check attendance later)
