NEILBURG — Volunteers of the Manitou Pioneers Museum can finally rest, following an amazing turnout for the 4th Annual Farmer Olympics and Tractor Rodeo and the 1st Annual Tractor Pulls, held Aug. 16 and 17.
The museum grounds were busy, as late summer rains slowed farming operations for many. The weather allowed locals to take in the events. With continued success over the past three years, committee members expanded this year’s event to two days, adding a parade, pancake breakfast and tractor pulls on Sunday.
Day one started with the highly anticipated Farmer Olympics. Teams of two worked together to complete a variety of farm-related tasks, some requiring a bit of farmer ingenuity to get an edge over the competitors. Although last year’s winners did not return to reclaim their title, six new teams competed in both new and returning challenges. A fan favourite, the egg toss, has been part of the games for the past four years. New this year was the potato dig event, where one team member dug for potatoes under a loose straw bale while the other donned neon-bright pants with an oversized waistband to collect airborne spuds. Winners of this year’s Farmer Olympics were Gus Wightman and Afton Grimard.
A new treat for the crowd this year was mini tractor pulls. Unable to compete in the next day’s event, tractors of the garden and lawn-mower variety had their chance to show strength. As competitors pulled a skid plate behind their machines, volunteers stepped onto the plate in an attempt to slow the beast down. While many competitors were young teens with older tractors, one young woman in a brand new candy-apple-red TYM T224, supplied by Triod Supply of North Battleford, impressed the crowd by nearly running away with a full load.
After a quick reset, the tractor rodeo got underway. With the highest number of tractors competing in the rodeo, seven drivers raced around the area, completing a variety of challenges in the fastest time possible. While some drivers had years of experience behind the wheel, it was a young local boy, Jack Fabish, who will enter Grade 8 in September, who caught attention.
While the games were going on, spectators were able to walk among other tractors and vehicles restored or worked on over the years, chatting with the owners about their history. The IHC Chapter 38 also had items on display and for sale throughout the weekend.
At the end of Saturday, Carson Rokosh Brick, a young teen from Lashburn who has been learning to weld, presented his handcrafted awards. Edwin Ziegler was awarded Best Restored with his IHC WD6, Jason Ward earned Best Original with his IHC WD40, Wayne Oddason won Best IHC with his 1906 stationary engine and Crowd Favourite went to Zared Nafziger.
On Sunday, the newly formed Neilburg Vintage Tractor Club held its first tractor pull in conjunction with the weekend’s events. With almost 50 tractors competing, the stands were full. The small group had acquired the old driving range northeast of the community, which was also once home to the mud drags. Over the spring and summer, the club prepared the grounds to create a pull track in time for the new attraction.
Throughout the weekend, members of the Manitou Pioneers Museum and the Neilburg Vintage Tractor Club were pleased with the number of vendors at the farmers’ market, as well as tractor entries and spectators. Now, they are ready to take a much-needed break before planning for next year begins.
