TRACTORS DRAW OLD AND YOUNG AT DISTRICT FAIR

In a frilly, blue dress, Brandy Macke looked more like she was ready for Sunday school class than a "tractor pull."

But the 6-year-old Scott City girl was more than a match for her competition as she won in the 30-39 pound weight class in the Pedal Tractor Pull, pedaling a red, toy tractor pulling a sled weighted with bricks.

Brandy pulled the weighted sled a distance of 22 feet, 3 inches on the sawdust and dirt-covered livestock barn floor at the SEMO District Fair Saturday afternoon.

She was all smiles when she collected her ribbon and other prizes. Brandy's mother, Winnie Huckstep, said her daughter hadn't prepared for the event. "We just signed up about five minutes before (the competition started)," said Huckstep.

The pedal pull attracted an enthusiastic crowd of parents, who cheered on the youngsters.

The event was sponsored by the Cape County Young Farmers and the Egypt Mills Antique Tractor Club.

"We go by weight (of the children)," explained Rick Aufdenberg, a farmer from Jackson who supervised the event. The competition featured six weight classes, ranging from 30 to 90 pounds.

"We thought it would be a good promotional thing," said Aufdenberg, who pointed out that such events have proved popular.

More than 100 youngsters competed in a similar event the organization held in Jackson this summer, he said.

"Kids really enjoy it," said Aufdenberg.

When it came to winning in the 50-59 pound category, Jimmy McCormack, 7, of Cape Girardeau took it in stride.

He pulled the weighted sled a distance of 25 feet, five inches. Jimmy said the feat was "a lot easier" than the antique tractor pull held earlier Saturday at the grandstand.

Jimmy's mother, Shirley McCormack, said the family is involved in the Egypt Mills Antique Tractor Club, which has held a number of pedal pulls over the years.

"He's been tractor pulling since he was 3," she said.

In the grandstand area Saturday morning, a colorful array of antique tractors were lined up for display, with many of them competing in the tractor pull on the dirt track.

The tractor pull involved a number of different classifications, with tractors pulling a weighted sled, totaling 16,000 to 20,000 pounds, organizers said.

In all, about 100 antique tractors were at the fair Saturday, many of them belonging to members of the club from Egypt Mills.

The club has about 80 members, from Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

Club member George "Dude" Huey of Egypt Mills displayed a 1930 Massey Harris, four-wheel drive tractor. The engine must be cranked by hand to start it.

Huey said he purchased the tractor in Pennsylvania, adding that it's difficult to set a value on antique tractors. "You can't set a value on one until you find someone interested in the tractor," he explained.

For Huey, the colorful tractors are a sight to behold. "I see art in it," he said. "It's like a piece of antique furniture or anything else."

The oldest tractor on display Saturday was a 1915 Mogul, a kerosene-fueled machine owned by Truman Birk of Jackson.

Birk said the tractor has been in the family since 1926. He said his father-in-law purchased the tractor, which was brought down by barge on the Mississippi River and unloaded at Wittenberg.

The olive green tractor with red, metal wheels has a forward and backward speed of 2 miles an hour. "It gets slower and slower," Birk told a Southeast Missourian reporter as the tractor's engine popped noisily in the background.

Birk said his father-in-law gave the tractor to him about 25 years ago as a birthday present. He said he spent the last seven or eight years working on it, and only recently got it into operating condition.

"Everything is original on it," said Birk.

Dwayne Kirchhoff and his father, Paul Kirchhoff, are club members from Egypt Mills. They had two tractors on display at the fair: 1931 and 1941 John Deere tractors.

Dwayne Kirchhoff said the club has been in existence for a decade.

He was 18 when he joined the club. He said he enjoys fixing antique tractors and running them.

"You can still find some parts," he said. But many parts have to be custom made.

And while the old tractors pulled a plow, they weren't made for comfort. "No air conditioning, no tilt wheel, not even a cushion seat," said Dwayne Kirchhoff.

Club members have found old tractors rusting in farm fields and along fence rows. Sometimes, trees end up growing "right up through the center of the tractor," said Kirchhoff.

"Some of them are in bad shape" when they are purchased, he said. But club members have become adept at restoring the old machines.

"We've got guys that are good enough in sheet metal that they can make hoods that are as good as new," pointed out Kirchhoff.

When restored, some antique tractors are worth $25,000 to $30,000. Still others, like Birk's Mogul, are "priceless," said Kirchhoff.

Club member Larry Brockmire of Jackson Route 1 said many of the old tractors are restored to better condition than when they were new.

Brockmire has 15 antique tractors. He has been collecting since 1977 and has participated in tractor pulls since 1978.

"I needed a tractor for my old sawmill," said Brockmire, explaining why he purchased his first antique tractor.

He said his collection includes tractors ranging from 1926 to 1948 models.

The old tractors are of particular interest to senior citizens, who remember when these tractors were the latest technology down on the farm. "That's one of the most enjoyable things about showing your old tractors," said Brockmire.

It used to be relatively easy to find old, rusty tractors on farms. But that's no longer the case. "You can hardly find one sitting out unrestored now," he said.