The Bluegrass Horse Pulling Association hosted the 33rd annual Glen Russelburg Memorial horse pull in Bowling Green, KY this past Saturday. 20 teams of the best horses & drivers from five states gathered at the WKU L.D. Brown Ag Expo find out who could, in a nutshell, pull the most weight the furthest.
Over the last several decades, this particular event has come to be known as one of the big ones in the Real McCoy horse-pulling world. Chris Hatfield, V.P. of the Bluegrass Horse Pulling Association noted, “There are certain pulls around the United States that you want to go to and try to win, and this is one of them.”
The quality of competition is through the roof, every year since 1991. Simply being in the arena with that callibar of a team (equines & humans) is something to be respected. President of the Bluegrass Horse Pulling Association David Roof said this is his favorite event, and explains how the pull came to be named after Glen Russelburg in this post on Facebook.
The format has been different over the years. Having once featured mule and pony pulls. This year, it was horses only. The cream of the crop. Teams were weighed before the event, determining the 10 lightest teams and the 10 heaviest teams of the 20 in attendance. They were spilt into two weight classes based on those weigh ins: Lightweight and Overweight
The Burton Brothers of Columbia, KY won the Heavy Overweight class with Bill and Shine pulling 12,250 pounds 16’ 4’.
In the Lightweight class, Yoder and Hatfield guided Karl & Todd to victory pulling 11,450 pounds, 23’ 11’.
The youngest competitor at the pull was 15 year old Ethan Burton.
A full list of results can be seen below. For more information on the Bluegrass Horsepulling association, visit their facebook page.
Glen Russelburg Memorial Pull |
Saturday June 1, 2024 Bowling Green, KY |
Light Overweight Results |
| Place | Entry | Driver | Address | Horses Weight | Horses Names | Weight & Distance pulled |
| 1 | Yoder & Hatfield | Chris Hatfield | Lake Panasoffkee, FL Cromwell, KY | 3650 | Karl Todd | 11, 450 - 23' 11" |
| 2 | Lester Specht | Lester Specht | Friedens, PA | 3650 | Abe Daryl | 11,450 - 22' 3" |
| 3 | Brian Patchin | Brian Patchin | Newton Falls, OH | 3700 | Buzz Woody | 11,500 - 21' 11" |
| 4 | Trent & Sons | Dee Trent | Bloomfield, KY | 3700 | Frank Frank | 11,500 - 12' 7" |
| 5 | Roof Brothers | David Roof | Leitchfield, KY | 3650 | King Todd | 11,450 - 12' 5" |
| 6 | Mark Minton | Mark Minton | Kittanning, PA | 3650 | Andy Ben | 11,450 - 3' 9" |
| 7 | Roof Brothers | David Roof | Leitchfield, KY | 3650 | Moe Rocket | 11,450 - 3' 5" |
| 8 | Scott Maclean | Scott Maclean | Leoma, TN | 3750 | Dean Prince | 10,450 - 26' 9" |
| 9 | Jones Powell & Rand | Will Jones | Versailles, KY | 3750 | Dick Prince | 10,450 - 25' 4" |
| 10 | Ethan Burton | Ethan Burton | Columbia, KY | 3750 | Russ Sonny | 9,350 - 5' 5" |
|
Heavy Overweight Results |
| Place | Entry | Driver | Address | Horses Weight | Horses Names | Weight & Distance pulled |
| 1 | Burton Brothers | Larry Burton | Columbia, KY | 3750 | Bill Shine | 12,250 - 16' 4" |
| 2 | Russelburg Brothers | Aaron Russelburg | Hawesville, KY | 4650 | Mike JD | 13,150 - 8' 6" |
| 3 | Phillip Burton | Phillip Burton | Columbia, KY | 4950 | Dan Red | 13,450 - 3' 3" |
| 4 | Yoder & Hatfield | Chris Hatfield | Lake Panasoffkee, FL Cromwell, KY | 5100 | Jay Rowdy | 12,850 - 24' 10" |
| 5 | Altman & Slusher | Meredith Altman | Peru, IN | 4850 | Davey Denver | 12,600 - 9' 5" |
| 6 | Casey Harriman | Casey Harriman | Muncy Valley, PA | 4750 | Buck Mike | 12,500 - 7' 7" |
| 7 | Trent & Sons | Bear Trent | Bloomfield, KY | 3850 | Pete Rex | 11,600 - 6' 4" |
| 8 | Jim Piras | Jim Piras | Chardon, OH | 4000 | Al Doc | 11,750 - 2' 3" |
| 9 | Kierstead & Smith | Peter Kierstead | Savannah, TN | 3900 | Smoothie Sonny | 10,600 - 17' 8" |
| 10 | Doug Clemons | Ryan Clemons | Greenville, OH | 4900 | Bill Buster | 11,600 - 8' 1" |
Cattle farmer Scott Porter, Kentucky Farm Bureau’s 2025 Farmer of the Year, discusses his commitment to mentorship and the importance of strengthening the future of agriculture.
March 30, 2026 03:22 PM
·
Son of a South Dakota Rancher, Kolt Mendenhall is turning his lifelong passion for riding into a collegiate career, committing to Southeastern Oklahoma State University next fall, bringing years of ranch experience to the collegiate arena.
March 30, 2026 02:59 PM
·
Rodeo Austin exhibitor Kash Morrison reflects on how FFA taught him the importance of hard work and time management while competing in livestock shows during the school year.
March 30, 2026 01:31 PM
·
At the White House’s “Celebration of Agriculture,” the Trump Administration announced a slate of policies to support farmers and ranchers, including biofuel mandates, SBA loan programs, and new labeling policies to boost domestic markets for ag products.
March 30, 2026 01:01 PM
·
The annual event blends livestock shows, youth competitions, and family-friendly attractions in the heart of Austin
March 26, 2026 02:43 PM
·
Experts warn pests could reduce yields and raise costs for producers
March 25, 2026 04:43 PM
·
