October 2nd, 2005, was a special day here in Western Pennsylvania for pedal pullers of all ages. This year at the Portersville Steam Show marked the 25th anniversary of the pedal pull. These pedal pulls were all started by Wayne Cooper of Fombell, PA, way back in October of 1980. This year, in order to honor the anniversary of the beginning, several former pedal pullers from 1980-85 came to celebrate this special day. Several pullers have moved onto stardom, including Lance Nimmo, who played offensive tackle for the West Virginia Mountaineers and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Bucs and had playing opportunities with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and even has a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots.
Wayne Cooper received a special plaque from Vernon Stoops honoring him for his help and dedication to the pullers and the Portersville Steam Show. Stoops and his wife, Aimee, have now taken over the pulls and are picking up where Wayne left off. They now use three different tractors, have several sleds, and even have an adult pedal pulling tractor.
The next time your are around Western PA, try to look up one of the best events for kids to do....pedal tractor pulling
