Calwood boy earns first in state fair pedal pull

Goes on to nationals in September

Jaiden Galbreath of Calwood poses with his first-place trophy at the Missouri State Fair's State Pedal Tractor Pull held Sunday. In Galbreath's first year as a pedal pull competitor, he took first at both the Callaway County Fair and State Fair, and will represent his age division in national competitions in September.
Jaiden Galbreath of Calwood poses with his first-place trophy at the Missouri State Fair's State Pedal Tractor Pull held Sunday. In Galbreath's first year as a pedal pull competitor, he took first at both the Callaway County Fair and State Fair, and will represent his age division in national competitions in September.

Jaiden Galbreath is now the newest and youngest in a long line of pullers.

The 5-year-old's mother, stepfather, two uncles and, grandfather and great-grandfather have all been longtime participants in truck pulls at the Kingdom of Callaway County Fair and other events across mid-Missouri, so when he learned about the county fair's children's pedal pull - a competition where children use pedal-powered "tractors" to pull a weighted wagon - he wanted to join in on the fun.

With his lineage, perhaps it should come as no surprise that Galbreath is a natural. He took first in his age class, qualifying to participate in the Missouri State Fair's pull held Sunday. He took first there just two days shy of his 5th birthday, and will now represent Missouri's youngest pullers at the 2013 National Pedal Pull Championships held Sept. 21 at the Mitchell Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.

"It was pretty surprising to everybody that he pulled off first place," said his mother, Shilo O'Neal. "It's something he wanted to do, so we took him out there and he ended up placing first."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.