08/25/2026
Information about the state championship pedal pull for anyone who might be going to it for the first time.
The Nebraska State Pedal Pull Championship is September 6th at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island. Registration starts at 8AM with the competition starting at 10AM. Here is a little information to help you navigate the event.
First, you must have your pink qualification voucher. This proves that you have qualified to compete by placing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd at a local qualifying pull earlier in the season. Show this voucher at the gates for free admission into the state fair, for the competing child only. Do not give the voucher to the gate, just show it, you will need it at the pedal pull registration. If you have lost your voucher or you did not pick one up at an event that you placed at, contact the Nebraska Pedal Pull Association member that ran the pull. They will be able to provide you a new one.
Once inside of the fair grounds, proceed to the Bigiron (previously Heartland) Event Center and enter through the main doors on the East side of the building. When you enter the arena you will see signs for the ages at each track. There are nine tracks set up, one for each age, alternating in opposite directions. Each competitor pulls in the age class that they are on September 6th regardless of what age they were when they qualified. Present the pink voucher and be prepared to present proof of age. You may not be asked to present proof of age but everyone is asked to have it available if there are any concerns or questions. If your child places in the top four of their class at state, they qualify to compete at the National Championship. It is mandatory to present proof of age when registering at Nationals. During registration the competitor will be given a sticker for their shirt that has their age and puller number. Once you have a number you are free to take a seat near your track.
The pull will start with the girls first. All nine ages pull at the same time. If you have multiple girls or boys of different ages, it is beneficial to stager their registration so that they don't pull at the same time. This will give you an opportunity to watch all of them. When the pull starts the children in each age will be asked to lineup by the puller number that they were given during registration. Due to limited space along the track, it is best to have 10 to 15 competitors in the line at a time and keep filling in as the line progresses. Most classes have between 30 and 60 competitors. After each competitor completes their pull, the distance will be recorded on a record sheet and written on a note book page that will then be held up for the crowd to see. This is your opportunity to keep track of the results of the class. Please do not distract the track operators with requests for personal results. They have a lot of paperwork to fill out to verify and document the results, as well as register the top 4 for Nationals. The results of each class will be announced trackside. The trophies will not be turned over until the parents of the qualifying competitors complete the National competition registration forms.
Once the girls classes are complete the process will be repeated for the boys. All of this is usually done in about 2 to 3 hours so you can enjoy the rest of your day at the Nebraska State Fair.
