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15th Annual Western North Carolina
Fall Harvest Days
Antique Engine and Tractor Show/Pull
October 27-29, 2000 Arden, NC
This pull and show just gets bigger and better every year. Hosted by the Apple Country Engine & Tractor Association at the WNC Agricultural Center in Arden (near Asheville), this year's balmy weather prompted a large turnout of tractors, garden tractors, vendors and fans. The crew from Old South hauled five Farmalls and a Cub Cadet up Saluda Mountain on Friday afternoon, and actually made it on time (barely!) for the garden tractor pull which began at 5:00. We're not exactly famous for arriving at tractor events on time. Carey didn't win a trophy, but gained experience with his first pull on the Cadet. The modified garden tractors with their loud engines, which bore very little resemblance to real-life tractors or mowers, were real crowd-pleasers. These classes were mixed in with the stock classes, which contained mostly Cub Cadets.

We started running into friends from back home Friday night, and by Saturday afternoon we'd counted over 30 people who live near us who made the trip to check out the old tractors and engines. It was fun, especially when pulling, to see those familiar faces in the crowd cheering you on.

The antique tractor pull began at 11:00 on Saturday with the 2,850# stock class. Like the night before, Apple Country alternated between the stock and modified tractors to keep things interesting. Speedy took 3rd place in the 8,350# stock class, and made a great pull in the 9,100# stock class to win it (both of these were with his model 560 Farmall). In the 9,100# class, there was a rough spot on the track at about the halfway point where the other tractors were all ending their runs. Speedy's 560, with the weight at the top of the sled, sort of hopped through that, found purchase, and kept right on for a full pull. Overall, John Deeres were the most plentiful, and the six-cylinder Olivers made their usual strong showing.
For those who were able to stay through Sunday, another pull began at noon.
Pictures from the 15th Annual
Western North Carolina Fall Harvest Days October, 2000
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