Tractor pull a family affair for Worleys

Competing in tractor pulls runs in the Worley family.

Family patriarch Jake Worley has been competing in the annual Butler County Fair staple for several years and now his teenage daughter Brylee is following in his footsteps as she will be make her competition debut in the fair’s tractor pull this Friday.

“I started pulling in 2005, the year Brylee was born,” Jake Worley said. “She grew up watching me pull and always said she wanted to when she got older. This will be Brylee’s first time pulling.”

Brylee Worley will follow in her father's footsteps this Friday and compete in a Butler County Fair tractor pull.Photo provided

And watching her dad compete every weekend when she was little inspired her to follow in his footsteps.

“It was always exciting,” Brylee Worley said. “I was very girlie and into pageants when I was little. I wanted to tractor pull like my daddy, but I wanted my tractor to be pink.”

Brylee even won Little Miss Butler County when she was younger — but even then, she was close to the family tradition.

“I think we can both agree our favorite memory is driving Brylee down the pull track after she won Little Miss Butler County,” Jake Worley said. “She had her crown on and was waving to the crowd.”

Both Jake and Brylee say that getting to do tractor pulls together with their entire family cheering them on is their favorite part of tractor pulls. Not surprisingly, they also both agree that meeting new people from many locations is one of their favorite aspects of tractor pulls.

“We’ve made lifelong friends we wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for tractor pulling,” Jake Worley said. “Some of those friends have been around since before Brylee was born and are coming to watch her this weekend.”

The Butler County Fair tractor pull kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. and is covered by the daily admission to the fair — $10 for adults and children ages 10 and above, while children under 10 get in free.

This year’s Butler County Fair is also taking precautions to reduce the risk of attendees catching COVID-19, said Linda Moore, Butler County Fair secretary.

“We are following the state guidelines,” Moore said. “We are offering portable toilets that have hand sanitizers. We also have a trailer with portable sinks for hand washing. We will have picnic tables in our food area for everyone to use and they will be kept clean and sanitized throughout the fair. In addition, all vendors will be spaced out to help with social distancing.”

Moore is asking attendees to be mindful of others and their personal space at the fair.

”If you are not feeling well, please stay home,” Moore said. “If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask, please do, but we will not make wearing a mask mandatory to enter the fair. We cannot stress enough we are not trying to make anyone uncomfortable. We just want to allow everyone to use their own judgment just as you would going to the grocery store, gas station or any other public facility.”

Mask wearing is not required for the events, but attendees are welcome to wear masks, said Moore.

Fair organizers have reviewed initial guidelines put out but Butler County Health Department and will follow those, she said. The health department will also inspect fair food booths on Thursday.

The fair schedule includes:

Thursday - 5 p.m. Cruise in car show and movies

Friday - 7 p.m. Tractor and truck pull; 7 p.m. Bulls, broncs, barrel racing and pig scramble

Saturday- 9 a.m. parade; 11 a.m. pageant; 1 p.m. dog show; 5 p.m. live auction; 6 p.m. power wheel derby; 9:15 fireworks

All events will be held at Ray Clinton Park, with the exception of the pageant, which will take place at the Black River Coliseum, and the parade, which will travel down Ditch Road and through the downtown area.