Antique machinery compete against each other during weekend tractor pull

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The Egypt Mills Antique Tractor Club has brought people together to show off their hardworking, antique machinery since 1981.

Machinery that has been around for generations brings families together to compete.

Dusty Miller has been a board member of Egypt Mills Tractor Club for years and not only does it mean a lot to him to be a member but it’s special to show off family equipment from generations back.

“I’ve been coming out here since 1990. I got my tractor. It was my grandpa’s tractor,” said Miller.

He takes his grandpa’s tractor far as he travels to several different tractor pulls across the country not only to compete but to show off the machine that his grandpa loved so much. He hopes when his kids get older, they do the same.

“I’ve traveled to Tunic, Mississippi,” said Miller, “We’ve traveled to Oklahoma. We’ve traveled to Indiana. We’ve traveled to Kentucky a lot. We’ve traveled all over the United States pulling these tractors.”

Dwayne Kirchhoff is a board member and the announcer for the tractor pulls. He explains the different sizes of the tractors in their groups based on size.

Each group of tractors then pulls a sled with a weight that continues to increase until the strongest tractor goes the furthest.

“This is our sled that our members built years ago,” said Kirchhoff. “It is a mechanical sled we hook antique tractors and bigger tractors to it.”

Kirchhoff says as it is a fun sport for people to come together and try to win it’s mainly about everyone being together for the love of agriculture and equipment.

Kirchhoff looks forward to these tractor pull events and special machinery being run by the future generation to come.

“It preserves the heritage of agricultural equipment. It’s immaculate to watch the kids grow up and run the club now,” he said.

The next tractor pull will be on Sunday, September 8 at the SEMO State Fair.