HOUSTON – The Early High School FFA Tractor Team won the state competition at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Monday.

Team members Tommy Groom (1st), Owen Johnson (2nd), and Jeremiah Hopkins (5th) each placed in the Top 5 individually to aid in the championship performance. The team is coached by Cortney Hopper.

Rules for the FFA Tractor Team Competition, courtesy of the Texas FFA website, are as follows below:

Part I – Written Examination

1. Contestants will complete one hundred objective type questions, true or false and multiple choice.
2. Multiple choice questions may have one or more correct answers.
3. State curriculum materials and references are available from Instructional Materials Service will be used for references.

Part II – Appraisal of Tractor/IM

1. Contestants will appraise up to 20 components or parts from agricultural tractors or machinery. They will recommend service actions, report condition, and evaluate functionality of each component.
2. Service data from manufacturer’s service manuals or IT service manuals will be provided where specifications are needed in order to make the evaluations.
3. Contestants are required to wear industrial quality eye protection as they compete in this phase of the contest.
4. All teams will provide their own measuring devices for the component evaluation portion.

Part III – Locating and Correcting Malfunctions in Agricultural Tractors

1. A school team of three contestants, working as a group, will compete with the teams from the other schools in locating and correcting five deliberately placed malfunctions in diesel fueled tractors.
2. All tractors will have the same malfunctions installed and service work orders listing owner/operator comments on service needed will be provided.
3. There will be a maximum of 5 malfunctions, repairs, or safety issues per tractor. All tractors will have the same malfunctions, repairs, safety issues.
4. Information regarding tractors used for the contest will be posted to the Texas FFA website by August of each year.
5. All systems of the tractor may be considered during the selection of malfunctions such as: • Electrical system • Engine and power train systems• Hydraulic system

   • Chassis, safety, and handling systems

6. The malfunctions may or may not have an immediate detriment to the starting or performance of the tractor.
7. Each team will furnish their own box of tools, test equipment, drip pan, and a fire extinguisher.
8. The time limit for this phase of the contest is 30 minutes.
9. Contestants are required to wear industrial quality eye protection during this phase of the contest.
10. When the team has located and corrected the malfunctions, a designated driver will operate the tractor in a safe manner around the driving course in the arena.
11. Contestants are to notify judges of any deficiencies concerning: transmission and/or hydraulic fluid, battery condition, coolant, and or crankcase oil.
12. Time will terminate after the driver has parked the tractor and turned the key in to the time/score keeper.
13. Liquid-filled 0-5,000 p.s.i./0-35,000 kPa dual-scale dial gauges equipped with adapters to fit the hydraulic remotes on the tractors used for the event are to be provided for each team participating in Part III.
14. Any special equipment that is not specifically listed on the tools list will be provided by the contest officials.
15. A copy of the recommended tools list can be found on the CDE page of the Texas FFA website. www.texasffa.org/cdetractor-tech

Top Ten Teams from Parts I and II advance to Part III of the Tractor Tech Contest. Scores will be determined by the sum of all team members scores from Parts I and II of the contest. Overall Team Scores will be determined by the sum of the following:

• 3 Individual Scores from Part I
• 3 Individual Scores from Part II
• Total Team Score from Part III