Kids pedal to victory at tractor pull

The children’s faces said it all this week at the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull at the Kitsap County Fair & Stampede.

Children, ages 4-12, painstakingly pedaled green John Deere tractors loaded with 100, 200, even 300 pounds as far as 25 feet.

Fast Track Entertainment, based in Cheney, Wash., brought the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull competition to the Kitsap County Fair & Stampede for the first time this year.

“It’s more fun, free entertainment,” said Ky Dobson, announcer of the tractor pull.

Children drove John Deere pedal tractors, loaded with weight, up to 25 feet. The pedal tractors were attached to special weight-transfer sleds filled with weights. The amount of weight children pull is determined by the competitor’s age. Four-year-olds start with 25 pounds and 12-year-olds can pull 250 pounds.

As the children pedal the tractors, the buckets on the sleds slide forward, increasing the pressure and friction which makes it more difficult to pedal.

“It’s a combination of strength and momentum,” Dobson said.

Eight-year-old Isaiah Nguyen, of Bremerton, pulled 125 pounds in the first round of competition. He enjoyed the tractor pull and hoped to compete in the Fair event again.

Children who pass the 25-foot marker in the first round advance to the next round and try to pull more weight. Dobson said he watched a 5-year-old child pull 300 pounds last week and saw another child pull more than 500 pounds two years ago at an event in Canada.

Dobson’s favorite part about working with the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull is watching the children have fun. He also enjoys watching the girls “whop up on” the boys and pull more weight a greater distance.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Dobson said. “It’s a good experience for the kids and is a chance for them to perform and be humbled.”

The Kids Pedal Tractor Pull travels throughout Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Idaho and Canada, bringing family fun to numerous fairs. Dobson, of Seattle, enjoyed bringing the event to the Kitsap County Fair & Stampede.

“The fairgrounds are beautiful and there’s tons of entertainment here,” he said.

Dobson’s partner, Caleb Penn, has spent many summers attending the Kitsap County Fair & Stampede. The Suquamish native enjoyed bringing the kids tractor pull to his hometown fair.

“I remember coming here as a kid,” he said. “Now I get to bring fun to the next generation.”

Penn’s family and friends attended the Fair and poked fun at the first-time Kids Pedal Tractor Pull worker. Both Penn and Dobson sported cowboy hats and boots to add to the country atmosphere of the event.

The two men hope to bring the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull back to the Kitsap County Fair & Stampede in the future.

“I wouldn’t mind coming back,” Dobson said with a smile.

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