Colby boy pedal pulls on a national level
By Nathaniel Underwood
Many may be familiar with the pedal pull tractor competitions that are often held alongside many of their larger, full-sized tractor pull counterparts at fairs and summer events across the area.
The Leader family of Colby had seen them before, but when they entered their oldest son Brian into a competition at Harvest Fest in Wausau as a four-year-old, they were not aware of what they were getting into.
Brian, now seven, and his family just returned from a trip to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota where the National Pedal Pull Competition was held on Sept. 28. Brian took seventh in the national competition, a product of his passion for the hobby.
The competitions, usually held for youngsters between the ages of four to 12, are similar to full-sized tractor pulls in that they are based on how far one can pull a weighted sled that gets increasingly heavier the further you pull it along. Where the pedal pulls differ is that competitors are not relying on robustness of their machines to carry them through to victory, but rather their own two legs and mental determination.
It’s something that Brian instantly took to when his parents, Ashley and Brad, entered him into a competition a few years ago.
In his first pull as a four year-old, Brian registered a full pull and won his age category. The performance earned him a spot at the state competition in Menomonie, an event that neither parent knew existed beforehand but have very quickly become acquainted with as Brian has continued to compete over the last few years.
Brian took third at state that year, qualifying himself for the national competition, where he took eighth. It’s been an obsession ever since.
“When he went out to nationals and didn’t get one of the big trophies, that kind of lit a fire under him. He wants the big trophy and he wants to work hard,” Ashley said. “The guy that did his very first pull told him that if he wants one of those trophies, if you want something, you’ve got to work for it. And that’s kind of stuck with him since.”
Weekend pedal pull competitions have become a regular occurrence for the Leader family, with Brian taking part in 19 individual competitions over the past year, including the state and nationals.
“It’s every weekend,” Ashley noted. “This summer, except for the Fourth of July weekend, he had at least one pull every weekend. Some weekends he had three pulls, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some kids, they do it once or twice and then they are done, but he’s determined. He is to the point where he’s asking, ‘Mom, where are we going this weekend?’ because he knows he wants to pull somewhere.”
“The look on his face when he starts going, there’s just determination in his eyes,” Brad said with a laugh.
When he’s not pulling in competitions, he’s practicing, using his own pedal tractor he affectionately refers to as his “Beast” to prep. Brad works with his son for practices, using a ice fishing sled with weights and holding down on it to try and simulate what pulling in an actual competition is like.
The dedication has paid off. Brian won all 17 of the local competitions he entered in over the summer and then followed up his performance with a first place finish in the six-year-old category at the state competition on Sept. 7. He won the event handily, his full pull in the final over three feet further than the runner up, a significant margin. The win earned him another trip to the national stage. While Brian had to compete as a seven-year-old at nationals, he was only three inches short of coming home with a trophy with his seventh place finish.
Brian has garnered support from family, friends and locals alike, with over 34 different businesses and individuals sponsoring him and the family’s trip to South Dakota. The family has also gotten to know many others in the pedal pulling community, a group that often crosses paths across the numerous competitions. “The people we’ve met, both with the companies [that run the pulls] and those that compete, it’s just a big family,” Brad said. “You go to all the different pedal pulls and you see all these same people at them. It’s fun seeing them and you talk to them and get to know them.”
“And that’s what it’s like when you get out to nationals; all the kids from Wisconsin, you’re just a family,” Ashley added. “You want all those other kids from Wisconsin to bring trophies home so you’re cheering for them too.”
As long as it remains fun, Brian is planning to continue to compete, with hopes of winning that trophy at nationals. He then has said that he wants to eventually graduate to actual tractor pulls when he is old enough.
“He told us as long as he’s having fun, he’s going to keep doing it.” Brad said.
“That’s his number one rule is to have fun,” Ashley added.
UNSTOPPABLE ON THE TRACK - Brian Leader poses on his pedal tractor with his multitude of trophies and medals he earned from 19 different pedal pull competitions over the summer. He won 18 of them, including the state competition and placed seventh at nationals. STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
