Results from the Butler County Fair, Page B6
So much about the Butler County Fair is about tradition, especially family traditions.
As the old John Deere, International and Farmall tractors began lining up Tuesday at the weigh station for the Antique Tractor Pull, a group of four “red-headed stepchildren” — distinctive red Massey-Harris tractors with bright yellow wheels — gathered off to one side.
Two of them belonged to Chad Schultheis and his father, Terry, built in 1949 and 1950, respectively.
“My grandfather (Bob Schultheis) was pulling out here in the ’60s and ’70s,” Chad said. “This is my third year with this one that we restored.”
Questions about why the Seven Mile family was devoted to the Canadian Massey-Harris tractors were met largely with a shrug. They’re not even farmers, but operate a heavy equipment hauling company.
“My grandfather bought two of them at one time,” Chad said. “Knowing how my grandfather was, it was probably because they were cheap.
“Massey-Harris is like a Kia compared to a Mercedes,” he joked. “We call them ‘the red-headed stepchildren.’ We make fun of them ourselves.”
Because the Massey-Harris tractors aren’t as popular as the American powerhouse brands, there’s an additional challenge.
“I like to try to win with something that shouldn’t win,” Chad said. “I like the challenge of making them competitive.”
“They were built for economy,” Terry said, “to get the most work you can out in the field.”
To compete in the Antique Tractor Pull, the tractors must have been built before 1962 and weigh less than 6,000 pounds. There also cannot be any significant modifications to the engine, although some try to get more power by improving the fuel systems.
“That’s really about all you can do,” Terry said.
“We work on them a little bit in the winter,” Chad said. “Check the bearings and timing, making sure they have fresh fuel. Most of the tractors that are here, this is the only time they get out of the barn.”
“It’s all for the fun of trying to make an old tractor do the best that it can,” Terry said.
The Shaw family, which owns a farm west of Millville, has also been going to tractor pulls for at least three generations. On Tuesday, 25-year-old Jessica Shaw was the only competitor, though her father Dennis and sister Rosanna were there to cheer on as she pulled with a 1955 Case tractor.
She’s been competing since before she started kindergarten, they said.
“I remember the first pull,” she said. “He (her father) stood right behind the tractor and pulled all the gears for me.”
Despite the rich family traditions, however, the participation in the Antique Tractor Pull has declined in recent years.
“At one time, there’d be as many as 80 tractors out here,” Terry Schultheis said. “There’d be guys coming in from Okeana with six tractors on a flat bed. Now, there’s maybe 50 or 60.”
The community remains tightly knit, however. As tight as they can, anyway, for working families.
“Everybody knows everybody, but this is really the only time of year we see each other,” Terry said. “We wave at each other on the road because we’re always working.”
But that doesn’t make it any less competitive.
“You have those guys who are friends 364 and seven-eighths days out of the year,” said auctioneer Doug Ross, the color commentator for the few dozen fans scattered in the grandstands. “It’s a nice community, and it’s all about the bragging rights.”
Bragging rights this year belong to the Schultheis family and their red-headed stepchildren. Chad Schultheis took home first prize Tuesday with a distance of 201.09 feet, with his father in second place with 185.01 feet.
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