Pennsylvania Ag Connection - Bradford County's Shoemakers Pull Back-to-Back Victory

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Bradford County's Shoemakers Pull Back-to-Back Victory
Pennsylvania Ag Connection - 01/17/2019

Returning victors Kris and Dwight Shoemaker of Columbia Crossroads, Bradford County, drove their team of horses to a winning full pull at 6,650 pounds Farm Class Horse Pull at the 103rd Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.

Farm class horse pulling follows the same format of horse pulling contests seen earlier in the Farm Show week, however, instead of using more heavily-padded harnesses designed for pulling competitions, these horses wear work-style harnesses. This class is more reminiscent of what one might see of a horse performing field work on the farm.

Across the board, ages of individual horses varied from 2 to 16 and combined team weights varied from 3,260 lbs. to 4,500 lbs. Kris and Dwight's team consisted of Barney, a 7-year-old draft horse and Chubb, a 5-year-old draft horse. Together the team weighed the heaviest at 4,500 lbs.

In pulling, a team of horses is hitched to a weighted sled and has three attempts to successfully pull a "full pull" of 20 feet. If they do not make a full pull, their longest distance determines their placement. Teams are also required to remain within the lane, 25 feet in width, which is marked by chalk lines on the ground. In the first round of competition at the show, the sled weighed 1,850 pounds, and cinder blocks were added to the sled in each round until the team who could pull the most weight was crowned the winner.

A key factor of the Farm Class horse pull: the tennis ball balanced atop a tuna can on the sled. For a team's pull to count, the ball must remain in the can, showing that the horses can make a smooth and balanced pull. The Teamster Award was presented to one owner who displayed both exceptional skill as a driver and good sportsmanship.

The results of the Farm Class Horse Pull are:

1st Place -- Kris and Dwight Shoemaker, Columbia Crossroads, Bradford Co.

2nd Place -- Rob Varner, Varner Farms, Collegeville, Montgomery Co.

3rd Place -- Jake Carbaugh, Rocky Ridge Farm, Greencastle, Franklin Co.

4th Place -- Jake Varner, Varner Farms, Collegeville, Montgomery Co.

5th Place -- Don Sherwood, Sherwood Groves Farm, Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co.

6th Place -- Delmar Zinn, Bench Field Farm, Newville, Cumberland Co.

7th Place -- Laurie Naugle, Burgundy Rose Farm, York, York Co.

Teamster Award - Don Sherwood, Sherwood Groves Farm, Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co.

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