Again Pulling in Europe and especially on the British island has lost one of it's "people of the first hour" and in this case a brilliant innovator, an engineer, quiet the comedian, a man with more backbone than most people I've ever met - and overall a friend!
Chris George passed away on February 20th after loosing the battle against cancer.
I first got to see Chris at one of the European Championships in the 80s, where he was often competing with his "Avon Lady" tractors. First powered by V8s that later on were turbocharged, then with turbine power - you know, back in the days when it was VERY special to see a pulling tractor powered by a turbine.
Then I met him personally at the 1996 Euro Cup at Bernay, where he had his latest creation out, the John Bull, of course turbine powered.
Chris entered the track for the drivers presentation dressed like the "John Bull" painted on the fenders of his tractor. The big man put on quite a show in that dress and marched down the track with pride.The tractor also performed well and I remember inviting him over to our home pull the year after.
His goal was to improve the tractor to the point where it would be top of the bill in the light modified class with three RR Gnome turbines, that would have given him in excess of 4500 hp at 5500 lbs. Unfortunatly it never happened as new rules were put on turbine tractor in the UK that kept him off the track with the John Bull tractor.
Chris always cared for the little guys in pulling and helped A LOT of people to get started. You could always learn from him. I remember him giving me advise on my garden pulling tractor when he saw me do my first steps out in competition.
He created the british limited modified class and also rebuilt an old single Rover V12 tractor to compete in this class, which he then sold and that is now running under the name of "Little Gold".
Chris also loved drag racing and lately was involved helping with a jet drag car and he also collected army vehicles, which got him on british TV just recently.
He traveled a lot, and knowing the end was coming soon, he took the chance to visit a lot of places all over the planet, visiting many of his friends abroad.
You could probably write a book about this man and the things he did in his too short life.
May he not be forgotten and his ideals held high in the sport of pulling and may there be many people to come that care about what is going on and speak their mind like Chris did, when things turn into the wrong direction... and most importantly: Back it up with action like he did.
To quote another british puller about Chris George:"No fool there!"
RIP Chris and strength to all the people at Pippenwell!
