A regular at tractor pulls since the ’50s prepares for final run
Marko Brigich, 81, of Chartiers Township, poses with an old Case tractor.
Marko Brigich, right, pulls with a Case 930 tractor in this photo from the mid-1970s.
Marko Brigich poses with a John Deere tractor.
Marko Brigich with some of the tractor-pulling trophies he has won over the years
Marko Brigich pulling with a Case tractor
Washington County Fair finally arrived, and with it the much-awaited annual tractor pull.
For 81-year-old Marko Brigich of Chartiers Township, it will be the final run.
Brigich began pulling with tractors in 1959 at age 25. It is something he’s loved to do ever since, as well as an activity he passed down to other family members.
“It gets in your freakin’ blood, that’s what it does,” said Marko’s son Mark Brigich, 53. “It’s an adrenaline rush down the track when you’re trying to beat somebody.”
Mark started pulling tractors with his father at the age of 14.
Tractor pulling is a motorsport competition, featured every year at Washington County Fair. Tractors are required to pull weighted sleds down a track, the winner being the one who pulls the load the farthest.
Since he started, Marko Brigich never missed a pull at Washington County Fair, unless it was canceled.
“I just like it, that’s all, ever since the day I took off from the farm,” Brigich said. “I didn’t care if it rained or shined, and we’d come home to the farm some nights at midnight.”
Brigich was born in 1934 and moved to what is now known as Brigich Farms at the age of 1. He worked on the farm with his three brothers and his sister. Brigich Farms is a dairy farm, and he grew up milking cows. After his father died, he took over the farm in 1973.
In 1957, he married his wife, Marilyn, and they had two sons and two daughters. All of his children are married with families now, and of his 312 acres, he gave each daughter 10 to live on, while he gave his son Matthew Brigich the dairy portion and his son Mark the livestock portion of Brigich Farms.
At this week’s fair, Marko Brigich, Mark Brigich and two of Marko’s grandsons, both Matthew’s sons, will be pulling.
Marko Brigich pulled with a number of different tractors in the fair. His most recent pull was with a John Deere, but previous pulls included a Case DC, Case 400, Case 930, Case 1370, Case 1590 and Case IH 7140.
“It’s against his religion,” Mark said, referring to his father pulling with a John Deere. “He grew up a Case man and has always been a Case man.”
Of all the pulls Brigich participated in, he managed to place in every one. He does not always come in first, but he does manage to snag a cash prize every time. Up to 10th place in the pull receives a prize.
His long career in tractor pulling yielded Brigich nine trophies, six plaques and years of memories. One particular memory is a time he won first prize twice in one year. There are different weight classes in tractor-pulling competitions. He entered two and won them both.
Brigich was always a good puller, and a good sportsman.
“I never cussed nobody out or nothin’,” he said, explaining he and his family take pride in tractor pulling. His son Mark has a number of trophies to show for it, as well.
Brigich will turn 82 Friday, the day before his last pull. When asked what he was looking forward to the most, Brigich jokingly said, “So I can win again.”
The farm tractor pull will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday at the fairgrounds grandstand.