Tractor pulling (in more detail)

The day is hot, shade is impossible to come by.

There are hundreds of tractors, the commotion is like no other.

But right now that doesn’t matter, not even a little bit.

The hulking sled, weighing more than 10 ton is behind you.

Your steed, your ride to glory, your workhorse is under you.

Her brilliant orange hood shining, her flapper cap going clink clink.

The old girl is tired, from many years of hard use before your time.

She lets you know this with a cough… a sputter only audible to the ears that

Care for her most.

 

You slip the clutch, engine still at idle, but ready to roar any second.

The chain is tight, the tractor lurches aggressively against the sled.

The engine complains slightly, lugs down, and begins to move ever so slowly.

You are moving, you go from idle to full throttle without hesitation.

The engine coughs at first, unprepared for the sudden change in heart,

But then roars to life, undaunted by the ungodly weight behind it.

You stare ahead completely in the zone,

Tractor and rider become one, tires turning over and over

You hear the governor open up, you feel the engine giving all it has  got.

The tires squat and flex with the force, but grip on.

The front wheels get light, the wheels may still be on the ground,

But the steering wheel does nothing when turned.

The front wheels come up, slowly getting higher and higher

In direct correlation with the sled getting harder to pull.

By now you are looking at the sky, much higher and you will have to throttle down.

You have passed the 200 foot mark, wheels in the air but still going

Only 50 more feet to a full pull.

The front wheels set down now, the engine can’t make enough power to lift them now.

You are just crawling, only 20 feet to go and down on power.

The engine still is giving it all it can, though it knows it has been beat.

But still going, you wonder how the engine is still running.

You push in the clutch, the engine just barely running,

The engine revs up, glad to be released from its load.

You back up, get unhooked from the sled and the last thing

To do……. Is get your trophy