Antique tractors put to the test in annual competition in Frederick
Jun. 12—When David Ridgeway parted with his 1951 John Deere tractor about 10 years ago, he included an unusual stipulation in the sale agreement.
If Ridgeway made it to 85 years old, he wanted to drive the machine in one last tractor pull.
On Saturday, Ridgeway — 85 now — had the chance to do just that. He stood smiling beside a longtime friend at the Central Maryland Antique Tractor Club's annual pull, surrounded by the familiar sound of grumbling engines and the mingling smells of fuel and mud.
About 100 drivers entered CMATC's competition Saturday, fighting to see who could pull the most weight for the longest distance. The club has hosted the event for 43 years, said volunteer Sarah Steelman.
Like so many Frederick County traditions, though, the pull was put on hold last year amid the coronavirus pandemic. It felt good to be back, Steelman said.
"It's something that I've done since I was a kid," she said. "It's just something we grew to love."
To enter the competition, drivers had to have tractors made in 1972 or before. Each machine was hitched to a platform — called a sled — and heavy weights were placed on top. As the tractors traveled down the dirt track, the weight on the sled shifted upward, putting pressure on the hitch point and making it more difficult to keep moving forward.
After each pull, judges measured exactly how far each driver made it.
CMATC's goal is to promote agricultural history in the region, Steelman said. And for the winning drivers, there's the added bonus of prestige.
"It's kind of a bragging rights thing," she said.
Ridgeway's longtime friend, Johnny Payne, said tractor pulls always remind the pair of their childhood. They both grew up around farm equipment in rural Lovettsville, Va. Ridgeway can remember operating his father's antique threshing machine — a device used to separate grain and seed crops from their stalks. It was first invented in the 1780s, when it revolutionized the agricultural industry.
More recently, though, Ridgeway proudly recalls which tractors he won pulling competitions with in decades past. At one time, he said, he competed in eight pulls each year.
"The noise, watching the black smoke roll out of these things ... this brings back the memories and makes you feel younger," Payne said.
"If it makes me feel younger, I might get back to 80," Ridgeway put in with a laugh.
Joe Biser of Keymar brought his 1960 Farmall to the competition. Leaning against its wheel, he said his favorite part about events like Saturday's was connecting with fellow farmers.
"[It's] just the camaraderie, and the people, and watching what they can do with older stuff," he said. "Everybody has the same goal, and that's to be at the end — at the finish line."
Follow Jillian Atelsek on Twitter: @jillian_atelsek
