In Australia, 10- and 11-year-old boys became the youngest participants in tractor competitions
In Red Cliffs, Australia, 10-year-old Jackson Kovac and 11-year-old Angus McKenzie became the youngest participants in the annual tractor pulling competition held by the Tractor Restoration and Appreciation Club of Sunraysia (TRACS). This was reported by ABC News Australia.
Every year, tractor enthusiasts gather in Red Cliffs to test their machinery: tractors pull weighted sleds along a 100-metre track. The competition was Jackson's debut. He has been driving his grandfather's tractor for about two years and practised at home with a family-owned sled.
At the competition, Jackson drove two different tractors. He said he enjoys the joy of driving and the process of operating the machinery itself.
A family tradition
Jackson's grandfather, Ross Kovac, has participated in such competitions for about 30 years. He said he grew up on a farm and began driving tractors at about the age of four. The family joined TRACS in the late 1990s after competitions in Koomella ceased.
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Ross Kovac said he is proud of his grandchildren for continuing this pursuit. Angus McKenzie also became interested in machinery thanks to his grandfather, Alan McKenzie: the boy spent time with him in the garage, helped him and learned to drive tractors.
Youth for the club's future
Alan McKenzie has been a TRACS member for two decades and collects machinery. Angus has six years of experience driving tractors and has already competed in pulling events twice. Last year, he helped his grandfather restore the tractor he competed with, and is now working on several projects of his own.
TRACS has 130 members, but many of them are between 70 and 80 years old. Alan McKenzie stressed that attracting young people is important for the club's future. Ross Kovac also believes that children should be given more opportunities to take part in competitions so that the tradition is preserved.
