Kids compete in tractor event at RGV livestock show

MERCEDES - Droves of screaming fans crowded the arena Monday afternoon as the tractor-pullers assumed their positions atop the glistening green, pedal-operated mini-tractors.

One of the competitors grinned at the crowd, showing off his gap-toothed smile before zooming ferociously down the 25-foot dirt course, pulling 150 pounds.

Then a little curly-haired girl sprinted with reckless abandon to the pedal tractor when it was her turn.

There were no clear winners or losers at the Kid’s Pedal Tractor Pulls, which runs four times daily at the 71st annual Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show. But there were enough giggles and smiles to go around for everyone.

Children ages 4-12 competed in the three-round event that awarded all its participants red ribbons. Contestants needed to pedal their tractor down the 25-foot course with an age-determined amount of weight in tow.

As the contestants pedaled their tractors, the weight pulled closer to the tractor, gradually making pedaling more difficult. Eventually, when the weight reached the top, the children advanced to the next round.

Alan Bruess, the master of ceremonies for the children’s tractor pull, has been running the business from Spokane, Wash., he said. The company, Kid’s Pedal Tractor Pulls, has four touring units.

“(The tractor pull) gets real exciting at the end when the kids are pulling big weight,” Bruess said. “By that time, the crowd has built up and there’s a lot of energy.”

Bruess, whose mother is from McAllen, said he has been hosting his pedal tractor pull show for 10 years at fairs and livestock shows across the United States and Canada.

The event was free with the livestock show admission. Parents who would like their children to participate need to arrive before the show in order to sign up.

Showtimes are 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

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Corey Ryan is a reporter for the Valley Morning Star.