Minnesota garden tractor collector Linda Grufman is the proud owner of a restored and repainted Cub Cadet 123 with a classic “Tiger and Leopard” paint scheme. Grufman’s tractor drew plenty of smiles at the Minnesota State Fair in 2024, but it didn’t perform like 123s did six decades earlier.

That was the summer when new Cub Cadet hydrostatic model 123s were part of a “wild animal” act put on by International Harvester. A dozen or more of the tractors were painted with black body stripes or spots and a big cat face on their front panel. The tractors had pop-up ears on the hoods and carried a 3-ft. long curved black and gold tail.

IH hired a team of special drivers to showcase the painted 123s in a show performed at numerous county fairs, the Farm Progress Show and the Minnesota State Fair. Under ringmaster Fearless Frisbee’s guidance, professional drivers were directed with whips and a starter’s pistol. Their antics showcased agility, speed, and the tractor’s ability to quickly change directions forward and back because of an innovative hydrostatic transmission.

Audiences loved the operators pulling wheelies, jumping over small ramps, taking corners on two wheels and throwing gravel by quickly changing directions. Grufman says the marketing scheme worked well to sell the Hydro Cadets, a significant upgrade from earlier V-belt and direct drive models.

The Cub Cadet brand has continued to innovate and thrive over the years under three different companies and is now owned by Stanley Black & Decker. Many older models are popular for restoration, including 123s like Grufman’s, which now has that clever paint scheme.

Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Linda Grufman, Maplewood, Minn.