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Truck and Tractor Pulls and Dyno Events. The History.

Every wonder why we get so excited about Dyno events and Truck and Tractor Pulls?  We did a little research and found that it has been a staple Pride and Power competition for over a hundred years.  Even the sled we pull down the dusty track has its roots in the late 1800’s.

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Thanks to the Spanish and early settlers, we had an abundance of animals that were bred in order for this sport to evolve.  The native horses of the North American continent were long extinct before modern civilization took up residence.

After European horses were bred larger and larger, farmers would compare horses pulling heavy loads over a set distance.  They would use things such as loaded hay carts, wagons, flat boards or skids would have a horse hitched to it. Today, fixed weights on sleds are dragged for a set distance and weight is added in successive rounds.

It wasn’t until 1929 that motorized vehicles were put to use in the first events at Vaughansville, MO.  Although the sport was then recognized, it did not become popular until the ’50s and ’60s.

The growing popularity of the sport caused the creation of the new 4×4 division in 1976, which captured a larger fan base.  Today the 4-wheel drive division is one of the most popular with the success of passenger and light duty trucks.  Now more and more counties and groups are organizing these events, growing the sport further into history.

The Truck and Tractor Pulls are on Saturday.  Hope this article adds to your enthusiasm.

http://jeffersoncountyfair.net/

http://stldiesel.com/

Don Harbaugh

truckandtractorpull

cited wikipedia