World’s Most Powerful Motor Sport coming to Mocksville this Saturday

Antique tractor and truck pull this Saturday in Mocksville
It is said that around the 1860s when farming machines were pulled by horse, farmers would boast about the strength of their horses. They would claim that their horse could tow large loads, such as a fully loaded hay cart or wagon.

“Horse-Power”
Farmers would challenge one another to contests to prove who had the strongest horse. A barn door was removed and laid flat on the ground, and the horse was then hitched to it; the farmer would then urge the horse to drag the barn door along the ground. One by one, people jumped on the door until the horse could no longer drag it; the horse pulling the most people the greatest distance was judged the strongest.

Tractor Power
In the 1930’s, tractor pulls began replacing the horse pulls and the motor sport of tractor pulling was born in Bowling Green, Ohio where the national tractor pull championships are held each year.  A modern “sled” has replaced the barn door and the people have been replaced by weights but the excitement, the competition and the sights and sounds are even more exciting today as years of competition has honed the skills of “pullers” everywhere.

4^th Annual PAPA Antique Tractor and Truck Pull This Saturday
The PAPA 4^th Annual Antique Tractor and Truck Pull will be held on Saturday, September 15^th at the Masonic Picnic Grounds behind the Brock Center located at 622 North Main Street in Mocksville.  Gates open at 12 PM and the Pulls begin at 3 PM.  Admission is $5 for adults.  Kids 8 and under are admitted free.

This will be a great afternoon of family fun!  There will be a Kiddie Pedal-Tractor Pull for trophies. In addition, farmers are invited to bring their tractors and try a pull – a farm class has been added. All other pulls are sanctioned by Old Time Tractor Pull Assn.

Piedmont Antique Power Association – PAPA – Founded in Mocksville in 1999
During the summer of 1999 in Mocksville, Benny Dyson, WC Phipps and Harley Howell discussed forming a tractor and antique engine club.  They decided to gather other interested individuals within the community of Mocksville. After assembling 30 members, a charter was formed and the organization officially became the “Piedmont Antique Power Association, Inc.” or “PAPA” in January of 2000.

In the early years of the association, PAPA held their monthly meetings at various local government and community facilities around the Town of Mocksville. Today, monthly meetings are held at the Davie County Senior Services Center of Mocksville.  PAPA celebrated its 10th anniversary in July of 2009.

The PAPA is a non-profit organization, which distributes much of its proceeds to various charitable organizations throughout the community.  The club holds several annual fund raising events each year for this purpose.  The club is currently setting aside some of its proceeds to fund the purchase of a parcel of land for the construction of a building for club meetings and to house a tractor and antique engine museum.  Anyone interested in tractors or antique engines should consider joining the Piedmont Antique Power Association.

Resources:
Piedmont Antique Power Association