Many hands help pull Murray event together

The Murray Tractor Pull has many hands which help 'pull' the event together. Members of the Fancher Hulberton Murray Fire Company and Ladies Auxiliary, Holley Fire Department, Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance (C.O.V.A.), St. Mary Church in Holley and friends and family of the founder of the event, Lloyd Christ, help in various ways.

All proceeds from the two-day event are donated to local fire departments, C.O.V.A and local charity.

Lloyd Christ and family created the event as an avid fan of tractor pulling for 52 years. Christ started as a young boy pulling a Farmall M. tractor at local fairs and gradually pulled bigger tractors as he grew. In 1967, he won the state championship in Syracuse, with his International 806 tractor.

His love of the sport produced a dream of having a track to compete on his own property, so eight years ago he decided to build one. He worked with the local fire department to get the first stock pull underway.

Two years later, he decided it was time to join Empire State Pullers after Lloyd and Gail Christ's son, Scott, let him drive his 1066 tractor at an event. That's all it took for him to build his International 1066, with four chargers. The family travels all over New York state and Canada in competition.

In his first year of competition, Christ was awarded "Rookie of the Year," and his second year he finished third in points. Family members now say he has the "disease" and competing has taken the forefront.

The Murray Tractor Pull event is July 29 and 30 at the Christ track on Groth Road in Murray.

July 23, 2006