The 2024 On the Pull event saw 100 tractors battle it out in a series of adrenaline-infused head-to-head races that are unlike any other motorsport. 

Up to 10,000 people attended this year’s On the Pull tractor rodeo event in July in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, the only event of its kind in Ireland or the UK.  

Revving up the atmosphere on Friday evening, a stomping country music concert marked the start of the event. With an audience of some 3,000, DJ Chris Armstrong and performers Colin Graham and Mikala Fredriksson belted out country classics and encouraged spectators to join in the region’s largest line dance.

Saturday presented a day of thrilling races in five tractor classes separated by horsepower steps – under 130hp, 170hp, 210hp, 250hp, and 450hp, with each tractor pulling a fully loaded Redrock trailer specially constructed for the competition. The races included a 120m hill climb and obstacles designed to test both engine power and driver skill. 

Over the course of the day, one hundred tractors took part in the head-to-head races cheered on by thousands of people from Ireland, the UK and beyond.

The event is organised by FarmFLiX, the world’s first online video platform dedicated to delivering broadcast-quality documentary videos for the farming community and is sponsored by the Irish League of Credit Unions. 

The event takes place on a farm close to the historic town of Antrim which is a great place to spend a leisurely afternoon. The extensive Antrim Castle Gardens date back 400 years and are one of the most historically intact gardens in the UK and Ireland. The beautiful gardens contain several notable elements including a twelfth-century motte, some remains of the 17th-Century castle and impressive landscaped areas. 

From the gardens it’s a short walk along the riverside to the shores of Lough Neagh, the largest lake in Ireland. The lough is popular for boating, kayaking and paddleboarding. It is overlooked by a sculpture depicting Fionn Mac Cumhaill, Ireland’s famous giant who, legend says, created the Giant’s Causeway.

Words: Ireland.com. Pictures: On the Pull 2023, courtesy FarmFlix. And Antrim Castle Gardens. Credit: Ireland.com