Draft Horse Wall of Honor
Horse Puller
Warren Raymond “Ray” Kessler
Warren Raymond Kessler, known as Ray to all of his family and friends in the Draft Horse world, was born on May 22, 1891 in Millville, Columbia Co., PA. to Benjamin R. and Susan E. (Sones) Kessler.
Ray married Mary Catherine Wilson and together they raised 16 children.
Ray was a dairy farmer and logger and lived in Millville, Columbia Co., PA. his entire lifetime. He acquired his keen eye and good sense of selection of good horse- flesh… specifically for pulling, during his use of draft horses in farming and logging.
Ray had competed in several other pulls throughout northern Pennsylvania and even into New York in the mid-1940’s, but it wasn’t until 1947, through the encouragement and taunting of his sons, Ray decided to take a team that he was using at the time in logging to the Farm Show to compete in the Horse Pulling Competition. Not being familiar with the procedures of registration for events at the Farm Show, when he and his sons arrived at the Farm Show, they were told that they were not allowed to enter the team in the competition because Ray hadn’t pre-registered. This however did not deter Ray and his sons, they decided to stay the week at the Farm Show and take in the activities.
In 1948, Ray was well prepared to make his first appearance in the Pennsylvania Farm Show Horse Pulling Competitions, where he in fact won the Heavy Weight Division.
Two years later, at the 1950 Farm Show, Ray Kessler won both the Light Weight and the Heavy Weight Horse Pulls. And by winning the Heavy Weight Division with a full pull (measuring 27 ft. 6 in.) at the weight of 3,775 lbs. on the Dynamometer, he and his team set the State Championship Record. But knowing his team could do even better, he hooked them onto the 3,900 lbs. load. His team of Skip and Bill who themselves weighed just under 4000 lbs., pulled the load 24 ft. 5 in. – just 3 feet shy of a full pull. This record stood for 50 years until 2000, when it was broken, by a team entered by Howard, Buhler and Slaybach with Bobby Howard on the lines.
Ray continued to compete in the Horse Pulling Competitions at the Farm Show up until just a few years prior his death. When you read over the results from 1947 until 1960, you will find the name Ray Kessler of Millville, Columbia County being the winner of the Light Weight Division - nine times and as being the winner of the Heavy Weight Division – three times.
Ray Kessler died on February 21, 1965, but the Kessler family is still represented today at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Horse Pulling Competition where Ray’s son, Ira Kessler is a formidable opponent in the Horse Pulling arena, having won the contest many times. Ira’s son and Ray’s grandson, Jay Kessler has also been a regular competitor. In fact, at the pulling contest in 2001, Ira won the Light Weights and tied the Light Weight Division Record while his son, Jay took second place.
It is because Mr. Warren Raymond “Ray” Kessler had set a record that stood for and was not broken for 50 years … and that his name can be found at the top of the results in both the Light Weight and the Heavy Weight Horse Pulls at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show for quite a number of years, that we would like to respectfully honor and memorialize him at this time.