Tractor pulls can be dated back to the 1860s, when farmers would brag about their horses. The pulls were pretty basic, a barn door would be pulled behind the horse and spectators would step on it when it passed them. Horse pulling is still around today, but they no longer use the barn door. Instead they have a sled with weights on it and the horses are actually bred for the event.
In 1929, the tractors were brought into the pulls. The sport was known but did not really become popular until 30 to 40 years later. When tractor pulling did become popular people realized that there was not a certain set of rules. The competitors had to know the rules for different states and sometimes different countries. The problem with no set rules was that it was difficult on new competitors. Then in 1969 eight different states gathered to make a set of official rules. This meeting also resulted in the N.T.P.A. (National Tractor Pulls Association) being formed. The tractors stayed single engine until two guys from Ohio made the "crossbox," which made it possible to have multiple engines.
Today most of these tractors never see a field because they are designed to be used primarily for tractor pulls. Now due to the crossbox there is more than one class of tractors. There is the two wheel class, the four wheel drive class and a few more. Horse pulling has come a long way and it has turned into a multi-million dollar competition.
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