HARRISBURG, Pa. — Two teams from Westmoreland County took home the lightweight and heavyweight championship titles, respectively, in the draft horse pulling competition Jan. 11, at the 2011 Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.
The Brown brothers, of Acme, won the heavyweight draft division for the sixth year in a row at the Farm Show, besting 11 other teams. Hidden Meadow Farm of Ebensburg, Cambria County, placed second in the division.
Billy Howard, also of Acme, took home lightweight honors, rising above 13 other teams. Acme’s Bobby Howard took home second place in the class.
The weight of the two horses that make up a team determined the class in which they competed. Lightweight teams are less than 3,325 pounds, and heavyweight teams weigh more. Results of the draft horse pulling were:
Lightweight draft horse pulling:
1. Billy Howard, Acme, Westmoreland Co.; 2. Bobby Howard, Acme, Westmoreland Co.
Heavyweight draft horse pulling:
1. Brown Brothers, Acme, Westmoreland Co.; 2. Hidden Meadow Farm, Ebensburg, Cambria Co.
Courtney Bowman of Somerset, Somerset County, won the first-ever farm class horse pulling class Jan. 15, at the 2011 Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.
A modified version of the regular draft horse pulling classes, the farm class horse pulling class has no weight restrictions for the horses that pull in the class. Each team has three tries to pull at a particular weight and a full pull is 20 feet. A tennis ball is placed inside of a tuna can and set on top of the pulling sled. The ball must stay within the can while the team is pulling.
Bowman was the last to pull in the finale that included the top three teams. Her winning team made a full pull at 9,600 pounds. Dwight Shoemaker of Columbia Crossroads, Bradford County placed second with a pull of 14 feet, 11 inches.
Farm class horse pulling results:
1. Courtney Bowman, Somerset, Somerset Co.; 2. Dwight Shoemaker, Columbia Crossroads, Bradford Co.
