Went to the draft-horse pull at Old Time Threshing Show in Freeport, IL last night - hadn't been to one in years and it was great! Watching all the teams as they tried to pull heavier and heavier loads, it struck me that the winners were the only ones that PULLED TOGETHER. Some of the teams were young and inexperienced, and on the heavier loads one would pull and if the other one was late leaning into the collar, the puller would back off, then the other would try, but they weren't working evenly and couldn't do it. But the winners were horses who'd been worked a long time and a lot, and they knew to both lean into the collar TOGETHER and pull the load, up to 4,000 pounds (while the combined weight of the team was 3,800 lbs.).

I thought perhaps that's a corollary for life; if we want to get something done, no matter how heavy the load, and we all PULL TOGETHER, we can do it.

I was also delighted to see that there were three young girls in the Junior division of pulling (as well as some young boys) - it's great that young people are interested in draft horses. (One of the girls WON!)

There were several beautiful mule teams there, but if the load was heavy, they just stopped and didn't even try. Perhaps they were too smart to strain themselves on a heavy load. After the pull, we all went to the barn to look over the horses and mules (they even had a team of American Cream horses there), and I'm happy to say that I finally got to kiss a mule on the nose, after all these years - another milestone in my life, hahaha!

Also, in the nostalgia category, got to see an old Rumley tractor and some threshers - have fond memories are of my Uncle Charlie starting up his Rumleys and watching him pull the threshers to a farm to thresh oats or wheat about this time of year - those huge tractors made a sound like no other I've ever heard! It was wonderful.

Just had to share a good time.........

-- Bonnie (chilton@stateline-isp.com), July 29, 2001

Answers

Bonnie, sounds like it was fun, all right! I see something like that and marvel at all the time people put into their hobbies. Sure makes the world a nicer place. :)

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), July 30, 2001.