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f __ "T-,-,-,,.,-.--"."'--,;--...'.'...-"-':-," _ With the popularity of tractor pulls taking off through- , aairt artfl 54 'rlrtlrit' 15,“, r , _ 'r, out the province in the late 1970s, Harvey recognized 'T. P"'" . i Cr . . I _ “rah B, g 1. l 7 another need, g . 7:7 I a . iit' ‘Mi , 7, 'sl " i "In the interest of safety, we had to establish consistent "s t 7 'i-e' _7 77, /'iiiier/,r":, if or 1 J, ' 7 " _ . 1 rules for the pulls" he explains. "I became the founding / M . , C, ', , l , fiji)iiimiir/r)?iiii?'t, . 752777; 'Pty, 3 g)rrrt president of the Ontario Tractor Pull Association, and I'm :17 if, 7 _-' 1' 7 . 7 l’BLACKS-rlflmélg i ar: , proud to say we've never had a serious accident all these 'y ll n 7 ' es' "j'ii?,?t'i il :. "rAi; 'Y 1 'vr _ em sw' ‘ T i L, years." f if "r2iiariiti , _ "*TRTDRPULL i ' 7 g, , "l.s V atmtil ' ' " M . _ L - je: He also became the "voice" of tractor pulling. "I an- RF - it; Em 7 , 7N, , 4 " I " " Mts . I 1 . ' r . " F A, nounced at the events - did that for years." a. a! t, ' " t IN i)-ri')su'iilBm i _ FiEar: ilie8!T EQ - . ' _ ,3 isa,, _ . , When those years started to add up, Harvey made a Rt ilr:2s/4Eo' ,- a - , w i i, " '" , , ' 2"e "_.- is: 'sGaBtlil, 'ii" s. . " M. x a . decision. "It got to be too tiring, all that travel. So I retired Wil c, Ei . ' - .i‘ '; ilk» , v“ Rr 9:. ' , _ - .91 lgiitSr WSllgM B8 is” a“ . - a few years ago." - - 'iM it e [ l 7 a 1 A: . EiiEiiiiiilWR+ 'tIii-lift-Galilee) EM,, 7 Thirty-odd years later, that single Blackstock event I Fi 'KE all, It"? a. ' i, 7. cr El if r" Fai , (il Jig-TM?” -- 'ia? has grown into a Z7-stop circuit in Central Ontario. The % la? 7 irata "r lg, ' if: " , M. " 1 a". 43?: /\ gm if" (ii . r . season's overall champion will ultimately be declared, Mag“; q' ai - t 213$ MB). ' trhE ii 7 . 7 Miiil' BS, r i "t :7 _ rr MI '= with competitors accumulating points according to their .1 'i3, ll ' 7, , E, the. M. t Fall, . 7 _ ' I Elia ($7 f bl SMt " 'gll" -re finish at each race, similar to the rules in professional car or, "W: "k",ycsi,eiisci,(t) G - "a" Mr, _ _ 1,riirt?, .w - - a...-_.\-i === .. Tractor pulling has expanded its scope considerably '?i'cijiiii?-7ifr' _'.'" 'Cir', Ti-"': '"Cir'tiri,-.1: . -=> . " ESI .. " "aaaE'i is, is i,1lya'l!5l ' tOsFthosgcarIygap hi . d r--'r' r" _ " We ter _ w', 'rtit7iii5sife5:':'irr1Cr , an“: .. _ PP.'r., ' _ _ 1 '7 . ', 1'CCT WY e-ax-iv-cific,'-:?',) 'xf1t31 “A”, ew, 1 any, o t e mac iines in a mo ern competi- IT / Wt 7 . magi)?!“ -"-: , .- N .. t - 7%.," csciericf?, _‘:L,:;~ia:‘:“ tion are Working tractors from a farm." Harvey explains. .. .7 _ _ _ "Most of them are modified: the original engine block 3' . R? Pd j l _ * J,5g,'igedCjl2'; '2 :tStyearthe Blackstock Tractor‘Piil/ started on its own, afterbreaking away has to remain, but some can run up to 1,000 horsepower. 17 r , ' so s no air. a s organizer Harvey Graham, (inset), calling the event 34 years ago. And the pulls now include multiple weight-classes of 4x4 t rl-iN' ", " . _ . e _ trucks." Harvey enthusiastically supports these develop- ' " MI N . ments. i .1 ac " . ' . Q I a , w' w, ', rac O r u The addition of trucks, in particular, as well as the Fil 7 l , l , movement to modified tractors, greatly increased specta~ i . , _ . f:.'lt, h . _ - l ', ,._,._.7,: l r? , tor interest. Those lar er crowds meant the events could C - t "t ','r/5N/r/ t un ers Into 35th year T . x: - 77 t A "fC'] _ _ ." .. L ll enerateabit ofa refit to th f . 'h i ,4/ Fl " ' i ' a) l , " ssc,;,,""""""""""""""):,"), y g p r e av, or " crei er cai'itit . til 5 ’71, L (e : BE T, 1iiiii'li'jiti,st,ss, the event was held. And it allowed us to hand out small ii E E. I, Iti ta, , . 7 I ' ‘ a . 'iiii?it1t'?i't F The roots of the tractor pull go deep into Ontario’s agricultural soil. And cash prizes to the winning drivers, enough to cover their ', . g g . F, L' " " rr , '1: 1:21;? 'ilr3ji'r'ir)s,, some of the seeds of. its widespread popularity germinated in Blackstock, gas and expenses. But winning is more about pride than : , . t a? I I " il, gale! 1tr'?i,'s; where one man s vision helped elevate the event as a spectator favourite in dollars." 7 35 e. ' , i ', _ 7 I in I , first. il-ijt)',));';"),, numerous rural community fairs. _ _ This year, the Blackstock tractor pull which Harvey , t i a _ ' , . 1 ' c. if B' a Cl, Ct""'?',]) r Cir, " \7 [t:tfi'ts I was aware of o.ther, competitions in the us. and in western Graham started will take place July 8-9 at the commmtity's " " , an C 7 . M 'll Fil,, 'iij).iii lllg " _ 7 1 Ontario, so we organized a tractor pull as part of the 1977 Blackstock fairgrounds, carrying the proud distinction of being one of .7 . _ C A a Ira .3: ii't'd tllil L ""r T .35 . Fair, recalls the event's founder, Harvey Graham, "That spirit of the longest-running events of its kind in the province. , Ill " i FF , if! :0} il Ill ' . ' 7 competition _- whose tractor was more powerful - has always existed While he won't be its announcer, organizer, or partici- : I _ ' t2' Egg - ' I) l rr il il L, r CIS/f, farmers. It was around before mechanization, when the event pant, Tu can bet Harvey Graham Will be there to enjoy rt _ f a . a 7. J, ' Iii , a ' » , "E , wo d ve been called a horse pull! the action, "pulling" for yet another successful event. 1 , EN C ii . B a . 7 _ 'i , . " _ in,“ r, A full time cash-crop farmer himself, Harvey recognized quickly MI 7177;317:1112: it FI , _ , Q B1tr Et he d found a popular idea in staging the pull. Over 50 tractors, almost L" 1 17.5 * l r , , © g , . 7 WI all ofltherri working machines from area farms, registered for that e tt N & ' ' , : g .7. 7 . r, Mt . q I initia event. ' , L' i' Ii 5 g , if} lit I , . . = .a _ " "The second year, we moved it away from the Fair's dates - it was , i , Bti R, 'rt " " It i / w , that popular." 7 , N it ' i ' , , t il ll Ir, E i r . ' ' Tractor pulling requires competitors to link their machines to a ", 8llt, " i , i' lit ti' 00E , i t 7 1 _ . "weight-transfer sled." As the sled moves, its weight shifts from the 7"; , if r E :7 I . _ Bt 1illlll Il a; l ' ttil' to the front of the sled, dramatically increasing resistance over a , 1 airing-i when: & . , course. 1 .5. f i " . * l , i f: t f . T, ill 4 e . Each entry's distance is measured once the load leaves the tractor e . ,. ' g' , M / motionless; the greatest distance wins, unless more than one "full pull" - 7. HitruWi@, am . (completing the entire distance) is achieved. Then a pull-off between 1-54.. . " - _ entrants is needed, "There's a great deal of skill required,". Harvey explains. "The driver must find the right speed and gear to maximize the momentum B/tts/ol Tractor 8 Truck Pull he initially achieves. Tire pressure is also critical. And with tonnage dis- Friday, Saturday, July 8, 9 tinguishing classes of machines, weight distribution is another impor- tant factor. "Sometimes a pull will be decided by fractions of an inch."