Tractor Pull

Ever since our county fair, where he saw his first tractor pull, Rafe has been asking to see another one. If you know Rafe, you know he has this dramatic aversion to loud noises that involves covering his ears and screaming. But the tractor pull has become the one thing he will brave loud noise for (with the aid of ear plugs.)

We headed to the 11th Annual Cedar Valley Memories steam engine show on Sunday. Rafe was going to get his tractor pull.

Except that the tractor pull had been held on Saturday. Not Sunday.

(My sister-in-law read the schedule in the paper the same way I did. “Same schedule both days.” Therefore neither one of us is crazy.)

Anyway.

So there was no tractor pull. But there was a pedal tractor pull, and Rafe said he would give that a try.

But you never know about Rafe. He’ll sometimes say he wants to do something, and then chicken out at the last minute. For example there was a little boy driving around a miniature steam engine at the show. Rafe was entranced and wanted to ride it in the worst way. Until he got close enough to see the fire box.

Never. Mind.

Matt always reminds me that it’s good Rafe has a conservative side, considering his love for all things fast on wheels…motorcycles, dirt bikes, race cars, etc.

So I wasn’t holding my breath that he would actually go through with the pedal tractor pull. But when the emcee called his name he couldn’t get down there fast enough. He jumped on that tractor and took off without waiting for the word “Go!”

In the end he took second place in the 4-and-under heat, and earned a really nice trophy for his efforts. Although he thought the bottle of Moutain Dew they gave him was just as great as that trophy.

In this picture he looks like he’s sad about not getting that first place trophy. He didn’t care a lick about that. He’s sad because he really wanted to get back on that tractor. He couldn’t understand why it wasn’t like a carnival ride at the county fair, that you could keep riding as many times as you wanted.

Coming in second qualified him for the state finals. Who knew there were sanctioned pedal tractor pulls with state finals?!? (And who knew that you could compete in the 18-and-over category? Couldn’t talk Matt into it.) They’re being held in September in Marshalltown, so we’ll see if it works out for us to let him have another go at it. Guess all that riding around in the garden he’s done this summer paid off!

Pictures of the actual steam engine show tomorrow!