HCSEA’s record-setting steam show continues to evolve in order to keep fans coming back for more
Steam is king at the annual HCSEA steam show, where the threshing demonstrations were a huge hit. Here volunteers work on getting the freshly threshed hay on to the hay wagon.
Tractor pulls were initially created as a way for small communities to have some fun. There were no giant purses with cash rewards for the winners, just some good old-fashioned pulling enjoyment for drivers and fans alike.
The Holmes County Steam Engine Association has gone to great lengths to maintain that simple and authentic atmosphere, and to this day the HCSEA offers no prizes for its tractor pull winners, just the satisfaction of competing hard and enjoying the event.
“We were told years ago that if we started a tractor pull at the event it would split our club right down the middle and ruin us, but what we’ve done to avoid that is that we have stayed firm with not offering a purse,” HCSEA President Steve Fender said. “We want this to remain something that is done for fun and the excitement of the event, and that has helped us grow our tractor pull every year. It is still all about having fun.”
For the past 26 years people have been flocking to the Holmes County Steam Engine Association weekend, and Fender said if you have to ask what the draw is, you probably wouldn’t understand the allure.
From the shrill whistle of the old steam engines and the plumes of smoke to the old tractors, horse pull, chain saw competition and the multitude of other events that took place in Mt. Hope Aug. 2-4, the show has been and always will be a tribute to the power of steam and the way the show walks back in time to explore the many facets of power that helped build America.
The weekend also has become a gathering spot for fans who come back year after year to see each other and reconnect.
“A lot of this is about the fellowship,” said Fender, who has been involved with the show since it began 26 years ago. “This boils down to a weekend built for people who have the same passions for steam and equipment. We still have a lot of people come to this who remember what it was like to use steam when they threshed. There are a lot of guys who left the farm for whom this brings back a lot of memories, and we also feel it is important to pass along all of this history to the kids. We had a lot of young kids out here this weekend who really had a good time experiencing everything we had to offer.”
This year saw the HCSEA set a new record with 180 hooks for the Friday, Aug. 3 tractor pull. The night before they set an attendance record, so the desire to witness the many facets of power and steam continue to be a huge draw that brings people in from far away.
Fender said he has seen a lot of changes in the show over the past quarter century. It began at the Amish Farm in Berlin but quickly outgrew that facility and moved to Mt. Hope. That move led to the ability to offer a tractor pull, which remains the most highly attended event during the three days.
Fender said another huge change was when Ervin Hershberger came in and brought with him the steam engine part of the show. Fender said he was instrumental in taking the steam portion of the show to the next level.
The working saw mill added another exciting element, and the show has continued to improve each year. Three years ago they brought in the lumberjack show, and this year, rather than have it professionally done, they wanted to bring it closer to home and decided to run it themselves.
“We wanted to have something that would be geared more toward having the locals compete, and that enticed a lot of local businesses to donate some really amazing prizes,” Fender said.
Then there is the horse pull show that draws horse-pulling teams from all over, branching out as far as Florida and Canada.
The horse show displays the pure strength of these teams of horses, and Kaufman Realty continues to be the big reason this event draws top pulling teams from far away, donating the $7,500 purse for the event.
“That is tremendous sponsorship,” Fender said, “not just from Kaufman Realty, but from a large number of area businesses that make this possible. There is a great deal of work involved with creating a weekend like this, and it isn’t easy, so we truly appreciate the way these area businesses support us. We feel like we have a high-quality pull featuring big teams and a nice purse, which builds a huge amount of interest.”
Another huge drawing card is the Battle of the Beasts, a contest of power pitting two tractors and their drivers against each other in tug-of-war.
“I don’t know of any other show that does something as crazy as this. It’s kind of like a boxing match with each guy slugging it out to prove who is the best. You’re not going to find this anywhere else,” Fender said.
As one of the two men who started the Battle of the Beasts, Fender has watched this highly anticipated part of the weekend grow to greater proportions than he ever imagined. When the event began 25 years ago between Fender and Don Yoder, it was about two men who were sure they could out-pull the other. It turned into a fun grudge match, and it instantly drew a massive crowd that was eager to witness the battle.
Fender said people come to the weekend festivities just to witness this spectacle as two drivers place their tractors back to back, hooked up to a long metal pole in the middle. With a flag at the center, each driver tries to pull, tug and finagle the other driver over the line in a tractor tug-of-war that puts horsepower and driving skills to the test.
“There are a lot of guys out there who think they have something to prove, and whenever you put two guys out there to compete, you know they are going to get after it for all they are worth to prove their tractor has the most power,” Fender said. “For a long time it was about John and I trying to one-up each other with a bigger and stronger tractor, but it has evolved into something that now includes anyone who feels like they want to show off their tractor’s power.”