Tractor Driving 2019

For the first time in many years Christian County hosted a tractor driving contest for 4-H members. On June 27, 2019 at the Western Kentucky State Fair Grounds in Hopkinsville the event was hosted as part of the Western Kentucky State Fair. This allows 4-H members to test their tractor safety and driving skills by pulling a two wheeled wagon through a set course. This was open to any 4-H member ranging from ages 12-18 using the state petroleum power tractor driving contest rules for the Kentucky State Fair. There were two divisions, junior and senior, the junior level was for 12-13 year old’s who were pulled a two wheeled trailer through a mapped out course; and the senior level was for 14-18 year old’s who also pulled a two wheeled trailer through the same mapped out course.

H&R Agri-Power the local case tractor dealership in Hopkinsville became the contest’s sponsor, allowing the use of two tractors and providing funds for trophies and prizes. There was a good turn out with three participants in the junior division and five participants in the senior division. For each division those who placed in the top three received a trophy and prize with the 1^stplace winners moving on to the Kentucky State Fair in August. Both the junior and senior winners from Christian County 4-H attended the state tractor driving contest and both won reserved grand champion in their respected divisions. 

The success of having two 4-H members do well at the state level of the contest is not the main objective to this program. The goal of the contest is to teach youth who work with this equipment often what technical and safety skills they are not performing while operating this equipment at home. With showing them their score sheets and explaining their mistakes our hope is that they take home this information and apply it while running this type of machinery in the future.