Tractor Pull garners record amount for DAV
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

Quite A Big Turnout This eye-in-the-sky shot from last month's Annual Ricebelt Antique Tractor Pull and Show gives a view of the myriad vintage farm tractors and other equipment showcased at the annual event. This year's event, the first in several years not conducted during rain storms, raised a record $12,001, organizers said. Some 160 antique tractors and vintage farm equipment including a cotton picker, combines and a corn puller were on hand for visitors to admire during the weekend-long event. Contributed Photo

The free Annual Ricebelt Antique Tractor Pull and Show was a big hit with entrants, fans and especially children, organizers said.

"It was marvelous," said Sherry Roddy, co-coordinator of the event. "We had a lot of support from spectators and businesses alike."

Held Father's Day weekend at the El Campo American Legion grounds, the tractor pull benefits the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 72 van driver fund and is co-sponsored by the South Texas Wheel Spinners & Crank Twisters Club, with 160 plus members from all over south Texas.

"Our vendors were very family oriented, so that made it really nice," Roddy said. "The kids had a really great time. They had a fishing tank, and the kids could catch their fish and then eat it. Those kids were having a blast."

Roddy said the event raised $12,001, a huge leap from the $4,000 garnered from last year's event.

"We had a monsoon last year," she said with a laugh.

DAV Chapter 72, based in El Campo, pays drivers to transport veterans from Wharton, Jackson, Colorado and Matagorda counties to and from the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Houston free of charge five days a week.

To classify as "antique" the tractor must be a 1965 or earlier model.

Some 160 antique tractors and antique equipment including a cotton picker, combines and a corn puller were on hand during the annual show. There were 153 hook-ups to the sled, which traveled down a 300-foot track.

Winners by category were:

Weight Class 3,100 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Billy Buzek - Inez (121 ft.); 2nd Kyle Day - Belmont (113 ft.); 3rd Lester Priesmeyer - El Campo (86 ft.)

Division 2: John Northington - Egypt (265 ft.)

Weight Class 3,600 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Vernon Hunt - Palacios (282 ft.); 2nd Chris Sliva - Wharton (260 ft.); 3rd Colton Pratka - El Campo (246 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Chris Sliva - Wharton (197 ft.); 2nd Colton Pratka - El Campo (171 ft.)

Division 3: Jason McCann - Tomball (218 ft.)

Weight Class 4,100 lbs. Division 1: 1st Nancy Hopper - Columbus (183 ft.); 2nd Chad Korenek - El Campo (182 ft.); 3rd Jared Hagel - Victoria (138 ft.)

Division 2: Keith Potter - Columbus (311 ft. - full pull)

Division 3: Raymond Mahalitc - Eagle Lake (245 ft.)

Division 4: Jason McCann - Tomball (282 ft.)

Weight Class 4,600 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Bob Malone - Spring (298 ft.); 2nd Jeff Fojtik - Orchard (257 ft.); 3rd John Zissa - Yoakum (250 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Keith Potter - Columbus (212 ft.); 2nd Janie Stewart - Egypt (116 ft.)

Division 3: Raymond Mahalitc - Eagle Lake (257 ft.)

Division 4: Jason McCann - Tomball (165 ft.)

Weight Class 5,100 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Clayton Ott - El Campo (176 ft.); 2nd Cody Korenek - El Campo (164 ft.); 3rd Eddie Ek - Cleveland (129 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Keith Potter - Columbus (238 ft.); 2nd Eddie Ek - Cleveland (197 ft.); 3rd Bob Malone - Spring (171 ft.)

Division 3: Raymond Mahalitc - Eagle Lake (290 ft.)

Weight Class 5,600 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Donnie Roddy - El Campo (243 ft.); 2nd Eugene Ott - Wharton (242 ft.); 3rd Clayton Ott - El Campo (241 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Doug Potter - Columbus (300 ft.-full pull); 2nd Jeffrey Gerdes - Edna (244 ft.)

Division 3: Jeremy Trepp - Katy (145 ft.)

Weight Class 6,100 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Eugene Ott - Wharton (265 ft.); 2nd Clayton Ott - El Campo (250 ft.); 3rd Cody Korenek - El Campo (246 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Eugene Ott - Wharton - (106 ft.); 2nd Daniel Kasper - El Campo (76 ft.)

Division 3: Jeremy Trepp - Katy (146 ft.)

Division 4: Michael Kasper - El Campo (98 ft.)

Weight Class 6,600 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Donnie Roddy - El Campo (256 ft.); 2nd Nancy Hopper - Columbus (255 ft.); 3rd Chad Korenek - El Campo (248 ft.)

Division 2: Dane Schubert - Cleveland (159 ft.)

Division 3: Jeremy Trepp - Katy (179 ft.)

Weight Class 7,100 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Steven Hopper - Columbus (288 ft.); 2nd Chad Korenek - El Campo (275 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Kyle Huvar - Garwood (183 ft.); 2nd Ed Schubert - Cleveland (155 ft.); 3rd Glenn Korenek - El Campo (154 ft.)

Weight Class 7,600 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Roland Regenbrecht - Katy (279 ft.); 2nd Michael Kasper - El Campo (248 ft.); 3rd Kirk Marek - El Campo (243 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Ed Schubert - Cleveland (194 ft.); 2nd Kyle Huvar - Garwood (172 ft.); 3rd John Northington - Egypt (148 ft.)

Weight Class 8,100 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Jill Kubecka - Edna (306 ft. full pull); 2nd Jack Mayes - Columbus (305 ft. full pull); 3rd Jonathan Anders - Edna (277 ft.)

Division 1 Pull-Off: 1st Jill Kubecka - Edna (194 ft.); 2nd Jack Mayes - Columbus (157 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Bob Malone - Spring (249 ft.); 2nd Marvin Schulz - Houston (235 ft.); 3rd Kyle Huvar - Garwood (222 ft.)

Division 3: Courtney Trepp - Katy (250 ft.)

Weight Class 8,600 lbs.

Division 1: Clayton Harwell - Katy (67 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Marvin Schulz - Houston (300 ft. full pull); 2nd Bob Malone - Spring (232 ft.)

Division 3: Courtney Trepp - Katy (298 ft.)

Division 4: Johnny Colvin - Katy (full pull); Rusty Regenbrecht - Katy (full pull).

Weight Class 9,600 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Jerry Robertson - Hallettsville (237 ft.); 2nd Clayton Harwell - Katy (227 ft.); 3rd Nathan Taylor - El Campo (217 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Will Chappell - El Campo (166 ft.); 2nd Bob Malone - Spring (137 ft.); 3rd Frnka Huvar - Garwood (131 ft.)

Division 3: Courtney Trepp - Katy (full pull).

Division 4: Rusty Regenbrecht - Katy (full pull); Johnny Colvin - Katy (full pull).

Weight Class 10,600 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Will Chappell - El Campo (full pull); 2nd James Morton - Louise (253 ft.)

Division 2: 1st Amber Huvar - Garwood (139 ft.); 2nd Dane Schubert - Cleveland (130 ft.)

Division 3: Chris Schulz - Cypress (full pull).

Weight Class 11,600 lbs.

Division 1: 1st Jill Kubecka - Edna (full pull); 2nd Roland Regenbrecht - Katy (177 ft.); 3rd Eugene (Butch) Graham - El Campo (132)

Division 2: Amber Huvar - Garwood (full pull); Will Chappell - El Campo (full pull)

RE-PULL: 1st Amber Huvar - Garwood (137 ft.); 2nd Will Chappell - El Campo (133 ft.); 3rd Will Chappell - El Campo (143 ft.)

Weight Class 12,600 lbs.

Division 2: James Gerdes - Edna (126 ft.)

Division 3: Chris Schulz - Cypress (133 ft.)

Open Division (over 12,600

lbs.)

Jason McCann - Tomball; Rusty Regenbrecht - Katy; Justin Bloom - Blessing; Sonny Johs - Blessing; Ross Hrncir - El Campo; Alan Dincans - Louise.

Garden Tractor Pulls

David Barten - Columbus; Justin Bloom - Blessing; Shelly Prause - Columbus; Curtis Barschek - Flatonia; Daniel Barschek - Flatonia.