Restoration team wins school's third national championship
By Mandy Bourgeois | Published Sunday, October 25, 2009
Decatur FFA has once again won the national title in the Delo Tractor Restoration Competition. The team of Philip Grundy, Will Gregg, Brandon Myers, Colton White and Ishley Elmore was announced as the winner at the 82nd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis Friday.
"I haven't touched the floor in about an hour," said Rick Elmore, Decatur FFA sponsor. "It was a big day. When they announced that we had won, the room came unglued."
The team restored a 1964 John Deere 3020.
Decatur FFA has won two previous titles - the 2007 title won by a team of six girls and the 2003 team won by a team of eight boys. With the win today, the program has the most wins of any program in the nation.
The team was judged on the restoration process, results and documentation along with oral presentation and safety precautions.
Decatur FFA also sent a team consisting of Ethan Fennewald, Cody Pollard and Hayden Lemieux. The team restored a 1959 Ford 641.
Ishley Elmore commended the team for their efforts.
"They did awesome as well," she said. "We helped each other out and did presentations in front of each other."
This is the third trip to nationals for Ishley and the second win. She previously won with the all girls team and was equally excited about this win.
"It's unreal. We were so excited - the boys were crying," she said. "It was like the room exploded. There were boys jumping up and down. It was the best feeling that we could pull it off again."
The teams from Decatur competed against 10 other teams from around the country, including FFA programs in Abernathy, Cotton Center, Devine, El Campo, Lufkin, Manilus, Ill., Eufaula, Ala., Lompoc, Calif., and St. Henry, Ohio.
Elmore said that the win isn't just a victory for the FFA program, but for the entire community.
"I've been able to get up here and win three times with three different sets of kids - it says a lot about our community and the work ethic of our kids," Elmore said. "It takes a whole community to get this done. Decatur FFA won it, but it represents our whole community."
Elmore also thanked Decatur High School principal Jason Cochran, district superintendent Gary Gindt and the school board for their support.
Elmore said that the team is made up of "traditional ag students" who live and work on farms and ranches, as well as students who don't have significant experience with farm equipment.
"Somehow, I convinced them to listen to me and follow my direction. It all kind of worked out," Elmore said.
With youngest daughter Ishley now attending Texas Tech, this was the final of five years Elmore was able to travel to nationals with one of his daughters involved in the competition. Elmore said that he was sad that he would no longer experience the event with his daughters.
"I'd like to win it with other people's children as well. I'm tickled to death that children put their faith in me," he said. "I know how to win this thing, but it's not easy. Our kids are sacrificing while working on this. It's huge for us."
