Antique Tractor Show - Paris, TX

My boy in Paris Texas!

Saturday was an amazing day.  I got to be an exhibitor at an antique tractor show up in Paris TX.  This is the same event I did last year when I pulled a sickle mower for the first time (link here).  My son wanted to go with me, and so right away I knew we'd have a good time.

I got a late start, and ended up pulling into Paris around 11AM.  I just had my team with me of Rachael and Pam.  My pal Roger told me that he would have a wagonette, a logging forcart, a sickle mower, and maybe a rake there already.  It's kinda nice to not have to bring an implement with you to an event.


The tractor show was going full steam when we arrived.  They were doing tractor pulls with the antique tractors, and all kinds of venders were there showing off some dwindling arts (blacksmithing, cutting lumber into planks, making rope, an my favorite, making ice cream).  :)

When I arrived I parked near Roger.  He was there with a team of his.  There was a team of hafflingers there as well who belong to Bobby and Paula Allen.  Then there was my team.    Also, a fellow teamster named Shelby was there, as well as my great friends Jerry Brandon, his wife, and 2 daughters.  We got unloaded, and then the fun began.

Roger explained to me that we could basically do whatever we wanted.  There was IH #9 mower there that had been modified to pull behind a tractor.  Roger had brought his John Deere #4 sickle mower that was ready for horses.  Roger brought his wagonette, log cart, and an old bobsled that he picked up at a sale in Missouri and restored.  So ... what to do?  I liken this to placing a child in a room full of toys and then saying "Play with whatever you like".

Roger hitching up the hafflingers to the wagonette.  Rogers team to the right with a logging cart

My team, Rachael and Pam, hooked up to a John Deere #4 Sickle Mower

Another shot of my girls and the mower

Rogers logging cart

Rogers bobsled

I decided to warm the girls up on the wagonette first.  We hitched up and went on a ride around the tractor show.  the girls were pulling great till we hit the asphalt.  I hadn't put Rachael's boots on, and she showed how sensitive her feet are when we hit the road.  Instead of pulling out  strong, she was just walking gently.  After one lap of that, I came back, and that John Deere Sickle mower seemed too much to pass up.

Jerry was more than happy to be a header for me, and helped me a ton getting the sickle mower ready to be hitched to the horses.  In no time the horses were hitched up and ready to use the mower.

Me and my team, with a John Deere #4 Sickle Mower

There was a small field of grass that not been cut.  I soon learned why it wasn't cut though.  It was ROUGH!  Someone hadn't disked that area.  I had a smile on my face though, and I NEEDED to cut some grass with that mower.  Indeed, you could say that "I had a fever ... and the only prescription ... was more [hay cutting]".  :)

The mower worked pretty well, and the horses were a dream.  They walked perfectly and didn't mind any of the noise at all.  It was a lot of fun for me to practice cutting in a straight line.  It's not as easy as it seems, especially with 2 big horses blocking the view.  I think I did alright.  It was a very rough ride, but I had a blast.  After a while, I let Jerry hop on and have a turn driving the horses.  Jerry did great and I think he was grinning as much as I was.  Lots of people took notice of us cutting grass, and a crowd gathered and was taking pictures.  It's kind of a neat feeling to see these old farmers watching with smiles on their faces.  You can almost see the memories pouring back through their minds of times gone past.

Rachael and Pam pulling the mower

The mower did a great job considering the blade hadn't been sharpened

I really enjoyed this

Hard to see the blade on the ground

Jerry trying his hand

This is a better shot of the sickle mower as it runs through the grass

the grass just lays down after it is cut

Jerry did great

At one point, we were having a break, and Roger walked over to check on us.  He had thought something broke on his mower.  We talked and laughed for a bit, then I noticed something.  Here came Rogers wagonette with his horses hitched up.  Who was driving it to him?  My son with Paula Allen sitting next to him.  As a father, that moment made me proud.  My son did really well, and the picked Roger up and off they went to give wagon rides to people.

After a good bit of mowing, we tied the girls back up, and took a break.  Time for some of that homemade ice cream.  Woo Hoo!

Bridles off, resting after some good work

About that time, we noticed the tractors all lining up for a parade.  We decided that we wanted to be a part of it, so we went over and signed up.  I noticed that many of the farmers were letting their kids/grand-kids drive the tractors through the parade.  I figured we'd follow suite and I signed my son up as the driver of the team.  About that time Roger mentioned that my girls should pull the sickle mower through the parade for all the people to look at.  I liked this idea, but there was one problem ... the sickle mower only has one seat, which meant Riley would have to do it alone, without me by his side.  I presented him with the idea, and he quickly agreed, stating that he'd be just fine.

We all went and got in line.  My team of Rachael and Pam pulling a sickle mower with my son driving;  Rogers team pulling his log cart with Roger driving; and the hafflingers pulling the wagonette with Paula driving.  Riley did so good.  The girls weren't used to hearing such a small voice commanding them.  It took them a bit to figure out that he was now the boss.  (I don't think anybody has as loud a voice as me)  LOL.

We hit the parade.  I walked on the side, about 20 feet away from the mower, just in case.  Riley drove through and did awesome.  The crowd cheered when they saw this small 8 year old boy driving 2 large Belgians.  It was one of those moments that a father locks in his heart forever.  I loved it.

My son Riley getting ready to drive in the parade

Here he is.  I was so proud of him

Here is Roger on the logging cart

Here are the hafflingers and the wagonette

After the parade, we played around some more, gave some more rides, and just hung out and talked as friends and fellow horse people.  It was a great day.  My son and I got to watch them fire up the antique thresher machine, as well as the hay baler.  They also had a machine that stripped corn off the cob.  My son was in heaven watching all these big machines work.  I have to admit ... I was sucked into it too.  :)

This is a corn husker.  The kernels drop out of the chute on the left there.  Very cool

Front end of the thresher machine.  Powered by a giant belt run from a tractor.

Wheat is tossed on the belt at the front of the machine, it is then sucked into the machine

The Wheat is shot out into the gunny sacks, and the chaff is shot out the back next to the hay baler

Here's the baler.  The guys on the other side are putting hay in the top of the machine.  The man with his back to the camera has to manually slide the hay wires through the bales (which are separated by wood panels).  The man on the other side feeds the wire back through, and then it is tied by hand.

Machine is powered by a belt from a tractor

This was neat to watch.

After that, we helped people get loaded and on their way, then my son and I watched the tractor pulls for a while.  The girls were enjoying a rest and eating some of the delicious hay we got from Pat last weekend.  The tractor pulls were fun to watch.  After that, we had a delicious BBQ dinner and then hit the road.  The Paris Antique Tractor Club were awesome hosts, and I really had a good time.  I hope this becomes an event I get to do year after year with my son.

Me and my son