FFA students watch their competition while waiting their turns at the Tractor Driving Competition at the fair grounds on Tuesday.

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FFA students drive tractors though tough courses for the Tractor Driving Competition on Tuesday.

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* LEAD PHOTO* FFA students drive tractors though tough courses for the Tractor Driving Competition on Tuesday.

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Jessica Breger

Staff Writer

FFA members showed their skills with a tractor on Tuesday when FFA members competed in the Bryan County Fair’s Tractor Driving Contest.

Competitors had to run a course of poles to show not only forward driving skills but backward skills as well.

Neither the tractor nor the attachments were supposed to hit the poles. On forward driving, competitors drove with a flat trailer attached. In backward driving, competitors drove with a grain drill attached to the tractor.

This year’s winner was Derrick Boone. Following Boone were Caleb Philips in second and Cory Whitworth in third and Halston Meadows in fourth.

All four are from the Calera FFA. The students were trained by Agriculture Education instructors and FFA mentors, Cody Nelson and Steven Beck.

The top four competitors qualify for state contest held at the Tulsa State Fair.

Both tractors and fuel were donated by the local Pettit Machinery. The store donates the use of the tractors each year.

Store employees transport the tractor to and from the fair grounds for the competition.