For the past few years I have been photographing a group of guys who pass their time at the Brooklyn Fair (in Brooklyn CT) pulling large cement blocks with their antique tractors. The tractors have to be pre-1950 and in their original state meaning that they are not “souped up” in any way. These tractor enthusiasts compete at many agricultural fairs around New England throughout the year but every August the oldest continuously running agricultural fair in the US convenes and this is where I meet up with them.
They are “tractor pulling”… For those not familiar with this event here’s a quick primer. The tractors are broken down into groups based on weight. So for example, there are 4500lb, 6500lb & 8500lb groups all with “stock” specifications. Tractors are hooked up to a sled that has progressively more weight added to it as each round progresses. Each tractor has to pull the sled as far as it can until it completes the specified distance where it is considered a “full pull”. A full pull is required to progress to the next round. This continues until no tractor can complete a full pull and then the actual distance traveled is measured. The driver and tractor to pull the most weight the furthest distance wins! The rules are a lot more complicated than I have stated but if you are interested in the full rules they can be found here http://www.cstpa.org/ at the Connecticut State Tractor Pullers Association.
(The previous video is a mix of still photography and video that were shot with a Canon 5D MkII.)
Here is a closer look at some of the images in the video that will give you a better introduction to some of the competitors.
