Two Templeton FFA members heading to Nationals for tractor restoration program
PASO ROBLES — Engines roared on Saturday, Oct. 19, for the 7th annual Templeton FFA Tractor Pull. With an attendance of about 800, the event raised funds to support the chapter’s endeavors in and outside of the classroom. The event was held at the Santa Margarita Ranch, where it has been located for the last three years.
The tractor pull event is run by the Valley Tractor Pullers Association, which puts on tractor pulls throughout the state.Templeton FFA students help set up the event and run a snack bar throughout the day to earn hours and credits for FFA requirements.
Tractor pulling, known as “the world’s heaviest motorsport,” tests the strength of machines and skill of drivers, focusing on distance rather than speed. Competitors use modified farm tractors, trucks, or semis to pull a metal sled containing a weight box that increases the load as it’s winched forward. The goal is to pull the sled the farthest, with a “full pull” marking the track’s end. If multiple participants reach this, a pull-off decides the winner. Tractors are heavily modifiedfor maximum horsepower and torque, and competition classes are based on engine types and weight limits.
Templeton High School juniors Chris Delisle and Sage Hurst told Paso Robles Press/Atascadero News they enjoy not only watching the tractor pull but also working it.
This was Delisle’s first year helping with the tractor pull, though he has been a fan of tractors and mechanics long before. “I’ve been into farming for as long as I can remember,” says Delisle.
As an active member in the Chapter’s Ag Leadership class, this was Hurst’s third Tractor Pull she has participated in.
“It’s fun. You get to hang out with everybody and meet new people,” said Hurst about the tractor pull.
She has appreciated all of the knowledge and opportunities being a part of FFA has given her. “I’ve learned more about all the animals and everything that is involved in this community,” Hurst added.
Delisle added about FFA, “It’s a cool organization [with] lots of agricultural opportunities.”
Competitors at the tractor pull included locals and travelers from throughout the state. The Cal Poly Tractor Pull Club brought their “Mustang Legacy” to compete in the event. Plus, on display were two Templeton FFA students’ restored tractors. Caleb Terrell and Braden Wheeler both competed in the JB Dewar Tractor Restoration program. At the California Mid-State Fair, Terrell won first place in San Luis Obispo County with his 1949 Farmall Cub and spent 391 hours completing the restoration.
Terrell, currently a sophomore at Templeton High School, said, “At first glance, it didn’t look terrible, but after that, we kept digging into it, and more and more broken pieces kept appearing.”
THS junior Wheeler took second place at the CMSF with his restored 1947 Allis Chalmers B and spent 745 hours to restore it. Seven hundred of those hours were taking the engine in and out eight times. This is his second year doing the program as well as his second year coming in second place.
“It wasn’t in the best shape,” Wheeler said. “We thought it was a pretty good shape as we drug it out of the field and got worse, worse … It was a lot of fun, actually [restoring the tractor].”
Wheeler and Terrell are in Indiana this week for the FFA National Expo, competing nationally in the Chevron Tractor Restoration Competition (TRC).
“I made top 12 in the nation and it’s cool to bring grandpa’s tractor and a family heirloom this far into a competition, so I think it’s kind of special,” Terrell told Paso Robles Press/Atascadero News.
This is Wheeler’s second time qualifying for Nationals. He and Terrell will be joined by Paso Robles High School FFA member Reiley Houtz in Indiana. He restored a 1945 Farmall M and spent 365 hours on his tractor.
Wheeler told Paso Robles Press/Atascadero News, of heading back to Nationals with his tractor, “It feels good.”
For more information on Templeton FFA visit templetonffa.org
Featured Image: A competitor in Oct. 19 Templeton FFA Tractor Pull literally attempts to pull its weight at Santa Margarita Ranch. Photos by Rick Evans
