photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Ryan Robinson competes in the antique tractor pull at the Douglas County Fair on Thursday, August 1, 2024.

With COVID-19 and weather cancellations, it had been a few years since the Douglas County Fair held its last antique tractor pull. But if you think that’s a while to wait, try spending 25 years in a shed.

That’s what happened to one of the tractors in Thursday’s competition before Doug Montis bought it from a neighbor who had it in storage. It was made in 1951 — the same year as all of the tractors his grandfather owned — so he decided to take it in.

However, it wasn’t easy to get the tractor up and running again.

“A piston in the motor was stuck, and it took three of us to get it unstuck,” said Montis, who has been doing tractor pulls for about 25 years. “It was quite a job.”

It’s also quite a job to get a tractor pull started up these days.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Two tractors, owned by Will Roberson, participated in the antique tractor pull at the Douglas County Fair on Thursday, August 1, 2024.

Puller Will Roberson – who has been involved in several tractor pulls in the past – said he’s observed a decline in both participants and antique tractors at these events. He also said there have been fewer and fewer pulls happening around the county.

Putting on the events is labor-intensive, both in terms of preparations and in terms of what actually happens in the arena.

“You’ve got to get the arena packed down just right. You have to have the people that do the paperwork, and then after every run, someone has to pull the sled that’s being pulled back,” Montis said. “And then someone has to blade the track and pack it down again after each run.”

The fact that pulls are harder to find these days has made the county fair’s event a highly anticipated occasion for pullers and those who enjoy watching them.

It brings back memories for Francis Thomas, who used to own three antique tractors and participated in pulls of his own. And for many of the people there, Roberson said, it reminds them of their long careers on the farm.

“Most of the people doing this grew up farming with these tractors,” Roberson said.

Another participant, Jeff Koch, brought a tractor he’s had for two years that was made in 1944, and he uses this tractor only for tractor pull events like this. He’s participated in countless pulls, and even some at the county fair.

“I used to come to this with my dad years ago, and then they quit doing it,” Koch said. “I happened to catch the event on Monday on Facebook, and here we are. I’m glad they’re doing it, and I hope it keeps going.”