Saturday's first Reporoa Tractor Pull and Community Day in eight years is promising plenty of grunt from the machines on show as well as some old-fashioned country fair fun.
Reporoa dairy farmer Art Maandonks who is organising the event with his daughter-in-law April says there will be about 50-55 competitors across the different classes – pulling the same sled normally used at Mystery Creek for the Fieldays tractor pull event.
“(That) includes just farm tractors and different weight classes up to from zero to 17 tonne and then we’ve got the class for some trucks, for some fertiliser spreaders and other trucks if they like to and then we got the class for the old tractors, pre ’85 tractors and then the one for the modifieds. So, we’ve got a couple of V8s that have just turned up, probably about six modified tractors. You know, you need them for the show... some noise and smoke.”
The food is all done locally by different community groups as a fundraiser, with the likes of schools, the kindy or playcentre running a stall or stand.
Art, who has his own modified tractor, says a tractor pull was last held in 2016 in Reporoa and had been an annual fixture for five or so years.
“Sometimes it’s good to give things a bit of a break and then bring them back,” he says.
As well as contractors and farmers coming to compete at the Claas Harvest Centre sponsored event, entertainment on offer will include pony rides, go-karts, a lolly drop, a pile of sawdust lucky dip for kids, and even a pedal tractor for the pre-schoolers with whoever is the quickest over a certain distance winning the tractor on the day.
The day runs from 9am until 4pm with most of the action between 10am and 2pm.
The Reporoa Tractor Pull and Community Day is at the Reporoa Domain on East Road, next to the Reporoa Golf Course.
