General News
25 April, 2026
Fred Saul claims Quambatook hat-trick
Rainbow tractor puller Fred Saul has defended his Quambatook Tractor Pull championship for the third straight year, capping off another strong performance with wins across the top classes he entered.
Mr Saul said the team had another successful day at Quambatook, despite slightly smaller competitor numbers than usual.
“It was a good day,” he said.
“Numbers were a bit down, I don’t know if that was to do with the fuel prices or not, but overall, we had a good run.”
Driving in the open modified and modified farm classes, Mr Saul again proved hard to beat.
He said his team’s consistency and reliability played a big part in the result.
“We got three out of three with our big tractor and managed to keep driving it back on the truck, though, still going with no breakdowns,” he said.
“We can’t complain.”
The result marked Mr Saul’s third consecutive championship at Quambatook, completing a hat-trick that underlines his standing as one of the district’s leading competitors.
In the open modified class, Mr Saul drove Sledgehammer, a tractor built for power and performance under strict weight limits.
In the modified farm, he drove One More Turn, while also giving his daughter a chance behind the wheel.
“I let my daughter have a drive, and she’s just learning, so she had a lot of fun,” he said.
“But, she didn’t win that one, but I won the other two, so we still got two out of three, so that’s a championship.”
Despite the trophy success, Mr Saul said the greatest satisfaction came from finishing the day with both tractors still running well.
“It’s good to win, but it’s just a good feeling that everything’s still going,” he said.
“You can put it back in the truck when it’s not broken, and that’s our main feeling.”
He said the event was about more than trophies, with local competitors enjoying the chance to put on a show and test themselves against each other.
“We’re competing against other locals,” he said.
“It’s always good to have a win, but it’s just good to compete and have a go, that’s the main reason we do it.
“Just put on a bit of a show.”
Mr Saul also praised the conditions, saying the weather helped make it one of the better days on the circuit.
“The weather was perfect, and the rain made all the banks nice and green,” he said.
“There was no dust around. It was just a great day. It wasn’t too hot. Spot on. Couldn’t get any better.”
The event ran late into Saturday night, with presentations held after the final pull, as is tradition at Quambatook.
Mr Saul thanked all of their sponsors, including SMS Rural (Jeparit and Horsham), Zed Wrecking (Melbourne) and Poole and Jackson (Speed).
He also had warm words for the Quambatook organisers, praising them for delivering another successful event.
Mr Saul said his season is far from over, with his next pull set for the opening round of the new season in Rainbow in October.