Published: July 20, 2007 11:10 am         

Success about more than winning

Darrel Yoder of Etna Green competed in the horse pull at the Cass County Fair this year for the second time.

“It’s a lot of hard work and training for both the horses and the driver,” he said. “It’s a three-man team. If you can’t drive, the horses won’t pull.”

The event allows for all horses to compete in one class. Each team of two horses has to pull a certain amount of weight based on the weight of the horses.

Starting off with 4,300 pounds of weight, 10 teams of horses and drivers competed Thursday night in the horse pull at the Cass County 4-H Fair.

Each team received three attempts to pull weights ranging up to 7,300 pounds. The full distance was 27 feet and 6 inches and each team had to complete a full pull to advance to the next weight.

Yoder finished 10th. The first place winner was Tom Walstra.

The track was wet and muddy, which made it difficult for the horses and their drivers.

Yoder says he enjoys seeing his horses pull as hard as they can on command. However, he does not enjoy having to pick up the muddy eveners, which are used to hook up the horse to pull the weight.

Yoder’s two Belgian Draft horses are named Mark and Dick. They are about 17 to 17.2 hands tall, which is about 70 inches.

Training the horses can be tough work, Yoder said. He works with the teams at least three hours a day, getting help from John Hochstetler, who helps to drive the horses when Yoder cannot. Hochstetler also helped pick up the evener during the competition.

Even though their team did not win, Hochstetler and Yoder both felt they achieved some success with the team.

“We had a lot of fun,” said Hochsteter. “I enjoyed it.”

Yoder agreed.

“The horses did well, and we had fun,” he said. “Whenever you have fun you are successful.”

There are several things that have drawn Yoder to the sport.

“I’ve always been attracted to it,” he said, adding that the horses decide the winner, not the man. “Their potential and strength is what intrigued me.”

Part of the sport is staying with it and not giving up, Yoder said. He explained that some horses take longer than others to work with. He pointed out that even the slow learners become champions.

Yoder said he would definitely continue to compete in the sport he had grown to love.

“Once it’s in your blood, you can’t get it out,” he said.