VW County Fair adds horse pull events

VW County Fair information

Michigan Dynamometer presents a horse pull at the 158th annual Van Wert County Fair.

According to tradition and Horsepulls.com, the event traces back to the early 1900s, when farmers used horses to work their fields. Much like the Tug a Truck fairgoers can see Tuesday night or the Truck and Tractor Pulls Sunday night, one farmer would say to another: “I bet my horse can pull more than yours.”

Proving it evolved into the event one can see today.

Horse pulling truly has become a sport, with horses bred and trained for their strength. Then, like a college athlete preparing for the season, the best competition horses are those worked daily to prepare their muscles and tendons for peak performance.

The harness and rig also become a key part of the success of the team, and it’s thrilling to see the pride in the horses as they strut their stuff after a successful pull.

Horse pulls come to the grandstand at 1 p.m. Sunday, August 31. There will be Lightweight and Heavyweight classes, while the number of teams pulling in the event is yet to be determined, but entries will come from the entire tri-state area.