2008 Missouri State Corn Husking Competition

Jarod Pullen prepares to fling an ear of corn during his first attempt at competitive corn husking. He showed real competitive spirit, too, shouting, "I'm beating Daniel!" (his cousin) as he went down the row. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Jarod Pullen gets some instruction from his mother, Jonna Riley, just prior to his first corn husking run. Riley, of Maysville, is a veteran husker who has competed every year for two decades, she said. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

(Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Some ears come free easier than others. This one was tough to dislodge, but Jarod Pullen won in the end. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Ron Widbin, Columbia TV announcer, gets some video of Jarod Pullen husking. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Glen Riley helps unload Jarod Pullen's load of corn after the youngster's first corn husking run. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Brittany Hedrick tosses an ear of corn during the "Girls under 21" division competition Saturday morning, Oct. 27. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

(Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

(Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Brittany Hedrick surveys the results of her run at the 2008 Missouri State Corn Husking Competition. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Brittany Hedrick scoops her haul of corn into barrels to be picked up by a front-end loader and taken to the scales for weighing and scoring. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Brittany Hedrick takes a late-afternoon rest. After an early start husking and all day working as a gleaner and judge, she'd earned a respite. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

The extended sides on corn wagons used during corn husking competitions are called "bang boards," and anyone who has walked along behind a husker knows why. When an experienced husker gets in a groove, the ears of corn hit the board with a loud bang! (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Bang. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Bang. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Bang. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Rob Roberts is one of the top competitors who creates a percussive "bang" when he's hit his stride on a husking run. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Janice Aulgur, left, with her daughter, Joan. Janice is the coordinator of the corn husking runs, making sure teams and huskers are lined up in the right lands before the starting gun is fired. She probably puts in more miles than the huskers as she spends the whole day zipping up and down the field making sure the event runs smoothly. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

A driver's-eye view. This team was driven by Anna Gass. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

David Barnes, at 93, is the oldest husker still competing. Barnes' great-grandson, Seth Roberts, won the men's open division this year, proving the the skill has been handed down the generations quite well in his family. Barnes' wife, Jennie, is beside him. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

A well-worn hooked husking glove worn by David Barnes. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

The annual corn husking competition is an effort to keep alive an outmoded skill, but employing a little modern technology helps the event run more smoothly. A laptop computer is used to keep track of and print off results within minutes after the final barrel of corn has been scored for each round. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

(Geoff Rands/Democrat-News)

Hardeman farmer Henry Deal is a corn husking patriarch, head of a family that is routinely represented by three or four generations at the Missouri State Corn Husking Competition. Leaning on the wagon in the background is Lawrence Deal. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

(Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Emma Johnson is a top competitor in the women's divisions, often running neck-and-neck with Rochelle Myer, one of the top huskers in the nation. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Khris Deal. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Lawrence Deal. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)

Mamie Smith doing the Sisyphysian chore of loading her barrel of corn into a front-loader to be taken to the scales. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News)