He wasn't even competing in the event, but Gary Johnson of Hendricks said he was already wore out just bringing the equipment down to the softball field at the park in Hendricks.
About a dozen men decided to prove their mettle during the "World's Strongest Farmer" contest Sunday at Hendricks' Summerfest celebration.
Contestants had to show their strength in six events which included the rock carry, golf cart pull, calf pull, tire flip and a timed weight carry in which contestants had to haul around two 100-pound weights.
Forty-five minutes before the event started, Tom Christianson and Ron Johnson got the course ready for the event, marking the courses and setting up obstacles.
Ron Johnson noticed a car circling on the road across from the softball field.
"Shane's (Evert) driving around, waiting for guys to come," Ron Johnson said, referring to Shane Evert of Fargo, N.D., who grew up in Hendricks.
Ron Johnson said a little breather between the events was needed.
"All the contests, you get a break between them, otherwise you'll be dead," Ron Johnson said.
Gary Johnson, who was in charge of the event, showed off a metal John Deere cap, which served as the trophy.
"It's kind of like the Stanley Cup," Gary Johnson said. The winner also received $50 in Hendricks bucks.
The Johnsons rallied around the audience, trying to get a few last minute recruits for the event.
"Go on, Dad," Jordan Twedt encouraged his father, Dave, to enter the contest.
A little after 1:30 p.m., the men were ready to start with the tire flip. For the contest, they had to flip a tractor tire end-over-end across the softball field.
Then came rustling up a calf. Gary Johnson said to the contestants they had to walk in the pen, get the gate open and then shove the calf inside.
Eddie Victor asked if contestants had to open both gates. Tim Fryer was first to compete.
"Can I see how the gate works first?" Fryer asked.
Each of the contestants tried to figure out their strategy in getting the calf from one pen to the other in the shortest amount of time.
At first, Eric Hawks tried to lift the calf, but ended up dragging it across the grass.
"When it's wiggling, it's not as easy to hold," Evert said.
The rest of the contestants thought the large-sized Evert would pick up the calf and throw it over his shoulder. Evert attempted to do that, but dropped the calf.
"I thought I was going to fall on him," Evert said.
After the rock carry, contestants tried their luck at the hay bale roll.
"I'm just going to jump up on this and roll it with my feet," Leonard Lustfield said.
Contestants estimated the hay bale was about 400 pounds.
"There's a lot of weight there," Tyler Nelson said. "And it's not perfectly round, too."
The timed weight carry was the final event.
"I'm losing her," Fryer said as he continued around the track. He eventually dropped the weights a short time later.
Other contestants found the timed weight carry a little grueling.
"I don't think I can go anymore," Ron Johnson said a few seconds before he dropped the weights.
"It takes a lot of power," Hawks agreed.
"Your arms feel like rubber bands," Nelson said.
"I feel lighter now, almost like I'm floating," Mark Citterman said after his turn at the heavy weight carry.
Victor gritted his teeth as he slowly but surely walked around the cones. He got the best time with 1 minute and 28 seconds.
"I didn't know what I was getting into when I came down here," Citterman said.
In the end, Evert took the top honor as "World's Strongest Farmer."
