Horsepower! Tractor Pulling in the American Heartland
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Driven by competitive spirit and the love of horsepower, tractor pulling is rural America’s most underreported passion. In an era of over-hyped and over-paid athletic superstars, tractor pullers are the unsung heroes of motorsports—focused on community, competition, and the simple task at hand. On one level, tractor pulling is the most basic of contests—a rivalry to determine who has the most powerful machine. It is a sport nearly as old as agriculture itself. However, despite its simple roots, tractor pulling has developed a diverse and complex culture. Over 12 different classes of vehicles define modern tractor pulling, some using thousands of horsepower, multiple jet-fuel driven engines, and computerized turbochargers. They have one purpose only—to pull thousands of pounds only a few hundred feet. The individuals that design, maintain, and run these amazing machines are motivated by a love of adrenaline and an enthusiasm for the pull. Many have devoted years of their lives and countless dollars to the sport. And, most come from rural communities, where they have been farming for generations. This is the story of one uncle and nephew pulling team, Dennis and Rodney Schnitker, of Hoyleton, Illinois, and the tractors they build and pull. Dennis and Rodney describe the thrill of the pull, explain their thirty-year involvement in the sport, and reveal why they have consistently dominated the Midwest in their class. Their commentary is supported by vivid track-side footage that places the viewer in the stands and under the hood.
Duration : 0:7:34
It began life as a humble bullock track in 1843, linking Auckland to the Waikato. As the years progressed however, Great South Road became a vital supply route, transporting munitions for the controversial Waikato War and, later, livestock and produce.
William Fortune was a farmer and a businessman. After immigrating to Ontario, he joined the party of “Overlanders”, who travelled across the continent in 1862 to join the Cariboo Gold Rush. He worked for the HBC in Kamloops, then moved west to settle at Tranquille, where he developed a ranch and farm and built the first flour mill in the Interior. In 1878 he built the sidewheel steamer Lady Dufferin to haul supplies on the Thompson and Shuswap waterways. He sold his property for use as a tuberculosis sanitarium in 1907 and returned to Kamloops, where he was prominent in business until his death. He was born 1838 in Yorkshire, England and died December 1, 1914. He is buried with his wife, Jane Fortune(born Febuary 8, 1838 and died 1918/04/28) at The Pleasant Street Cemetery, located in downtown Kamloops.(Sec A/Row 0010/Lot 0001/Sub Lot S/).