By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
Smoke billowed out of exhaust pipes and dust flew as tractors tried to tow an increasingly weighted sled down a dirt runway at the Burlington County Fairgrounds Saturday afternoon.
Garden tractors popped wheelies as their drivers tried to eke out a few more inches in hopes of winning a ribbon during one of the multiple Central Jersey Tractor Pullers Association pulls happening at the fairgrounds this summer.
Large tractors and garden tractors came from near and far to be weighed and placed in divisions and classes for which awards were given to first, second and third place. Some of the winners were mechanical monstrosities seemingly developed to squish the competition while others were careworn machines taking a break from the farm fields and others still were simply riding lawnmowers without blades.
Timmy Hagar, 10, of New Egypt, beamed with pride while holding two first place ribbons and said, “It’s fun.”
He took first place in the 650 and 750 classes.
Although he’s been riding a tractor at home “from daylight to dark” for the past three years, this is his first year pulling, according to his mother, Claire.
His father, Tim, said, “The kids enjoy it. It keeps them busy and it keeps them outside.”
The next Central Jersey Tractor Pullers Association pull event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20, with garden tractors starting at noon and large tractors starting at 4 p.m. On Oct. 18, the association will host a garden tractor pull at 9 a.m. and a large tractor pull at 1 p.m. as well as “Pumpkin Chunkin for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS),” which is often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
All pull participants must be members of the Central Jersey Tractor Pullers Association. Membership is $30 annually. The garden tractor pulls are open to youths and adults. Registration begins 60 minutes before the pull starts and a mandatory drivers’ meeting is held 15 minutes before each pull. All pulls are held at Burlington County Fairgrounds at the corner of Route 206 and Jobstown-Jacksonville Road in the Columbus section of Springfield Township.
For more information about the Central Jersey Tractor Pullers Association and its upcoming events, visit http://www.cjtpa.org.

