Alberta pullers bring vintage iron to Yorkton show

YORKTON - Sports of all kinds tend to become a passion for participants.

And that can certainly be said of vintage tractor pulling, as the popular class at the Thunder in the Parkland Truck & Tractor Pulls in Yorkton again attracted a large number of old John Deeres, Case, International, Cockshutt tractors.

For one team the desire to pull means travelling from Northern Alberta, via New Brunswick to participate.

Calling himself – with a smile -- the team’s logistics coordinator, Paul Briggs explained the family moved to Alberta from the Maritime province with an interest in tractor pulling.

Briggs said in New Brunswick tractor pulling is very popular, but they found in Alberta “there are not a lot of antique tractor pulls.”

Not to be deterred the family loaded up their two Cockshutts and headed to Morris, Man. for an event June 9-10, then stored their units at a fellow puller’s place near Yorkton awaiting this weekend’s event with pulls Friday and Saturday.

Then it will be on to Odessa, Sask. for July 7 and 8, another stop on the Prairie Pulling League schedule, and finally back to Alberta for some August pulling.

“Five, or six weekends a year we go to a pull,” said Briggs.

Briggs said it’s really a family affair for them. While he books hotel rooms and determines how many vehicles they need on a trip, Greg Ketch from Fort McMurray drives the 1953 Cockshutt 50 diesel, and Seth Briggs from Slave Lake drives the 1965 570 Super.

Interestingly the Cockshutt 50 was purchased in New Brunswick and shipped west to become a pulling unit.

The tractors have had some work, the 570 Super had a motor job, and they have stripped weight off the back to allow adding weights up front for balance, they both look generally stock.

“They compete against each other pretty good,” said Briggs.

So will the addiction grow?

“Maybe one more for next year,” he said, adding with a smile, it will depend on the budget in September.”

The vintage tractors begin pulling at 5 p.m. today and Saturday, with the modified trucks and tractors going at 6 p.m. in front of the Legacy Co-op Grandstand.