Young Farmer Tractor Driving Contest
Was Part of Original Fall Festival Event
in 1969

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

Sulphur Springs Young Farmers, John Mark McAfee, Heath Horton, and Chuck Vititow were
making plans for the 40th annual Tractor Driving Contest, at a meeting on Thursday night.

 

In a recent interview with veteran vocational agriculture teacher, Richard Watson, it was discussed that the Sulphur Springs Young Farmer Tractor Driving Contest was one of the first features of the Hopkins County Fall Festival. "Back in 1969, when the first Fall Festival was planned, they came to the local Young Farmer Chapter and asked them to incorporate the annual FFA Tractor Driving Contest, with the festival," remembered Watson. "And, as the saying goes, the rest was history!"

According to Watson, the course that is outlined for the contest each year has varied very little. "They're still using the same design in the course and basically lay-out a course that can separate the men from the boys in tractor driving," stated Watson. "It isn't an easy course to follow and you must know how to drive a tractor in order to complete the course without having too many point deductions!"

Tractor drivers are required to use safety procedures during the course and to both drive the tractor in forward and reverse. Then, they are asked to "hook-up" to a trailer and back the trailer. That is where the "fun" really begins, as it is difficult for many people to back a two-wheel trailer, especially through a series of stakes that give you very little margin for error.

 

This year's Hopkins County Fall Festival Cover Girl, Kayla Phillips, shows her tractor driving
skills, that helped her win the title in last year's contest.

 

 

"The Cover Girl Contest came to us on its beginning and asked us to design an easier course for the girls competing in that contest, to complete," advised Sulphur Springs Vocational Agriculture Teacher, Dannie Johnson. "We designed some features to it, and set-up a course for their competition, when they started the contest!"

This year's Young Farmer Tractor Driving Contest and Cover Girl Tractor Driving Contest will begin on Tuesday night, September 15th, immediately following the Young Farmer Calf Scramble, which begins at 6:00 p.m., in the Hopkins County Civic Center Arena.

Mark your calendar and make plans to attend this 40 year tradition with the Fall Festival!

 

Miller Grove FFA member, Cayle Watson, was one of the competitors in last year's annual
Young Farmer Tractor Driving Contest, that his grandfather helped to begin in 1969.

 

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