Cover of 1913 Winnipeg Motor Competition brochure

In 1908, A. Burness Grieg and his brother,  A. R. Grieg, who taught agriculture technology at the Manitoba Agricultural College, were instrumental in organizing the Winnipeg Tractor Trials, an event held annually until 1913. Tractors were categorized on the basis of the weight and horsepower rating provided by the manufacturer. Under the hand of a company representative, each was put through a series of three tests that measured belt horsepower and drawbar horsepower, usually expressed as numbers such as 12-25 or 20-40  (which signified the available power in terms of the number of horses required to produce an equivalent amount of force). The results of these tests and the ease with which the tractor could be put into operation allowed farmers to judge if the tractor would be of use.