Ten Cuivre River Electric Cooperative (CREC) linemen participated in the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC) Annual Lineman’s Rodeo in late September at the association’s headquarters in Jefferson City.
CREC swept the apprentice division including Andrew Hecky, first place; Alex Lisovsky, second place; Colin Moxley, third place and Mike Hartley earned second place in the journeyman division. The CREC team of Jon Pauk, Jacob Tiefenthaler, and Mike Hartley took first place in the team division, earning the Governor’s Cup which was presented by Missouri State Treasurer Vivek Malek, who thanked the linemen for their hard work and shared his personal story of living without electricity at times growing up in India.
CREC participants were Enoch Brown, Mike Hartley, Mark Hasekamp, Andrew Hecky, Jared Lewis, Alex Lisovsky, Bryce Menne, Colin Moxley, Jon Pauk, and Jacob Tiefenthaler. A total of 59 lineworkers from co-ops across the state competed.
The rodeo consists of events meant to replicate what linemen might see in the field. They competed in events such as the Hurt-Man Rescue, where they had to climb a pole and lower a mannequin — playing the role of an incapacitated lineworker — to safety on the ground. Other events were modified pole climbing, transformer change-out, digger-derrick obstacle course, and extendo stick. There is also a 100-question written test. There are three divisions: journeyman, apprentice, and team. Winners in each event and division are decided first by safety. The competitors begin with 100 points and receive deductions from judges for anything they have not completed correctly. The events are timed, but time only plays a factor in the event of a tie.
CREC’s President and CEO, Doug Tracy attended the event, saying that he couldn’t be prouder of CREC’s linemen. “It’s another example of what makes our team great,” he said, “And it’s not just a chance to compete and show skills, the event also raises thousands of dollars for the Missouri International Program, which brings electricity to villages in foreign countries that have never had it before.”
In fact, the rodeo raised more than $30,000 for the international program. The program was stalled during COVID-19, last completing a project in a remote Guatemalan village in early 2020. Crews from Missouri will return to Guatemala in 2024. In the past, CREC linemen have participated in several of these international trips to Haiti and Sudan.
AMEC is the statewide service organization that represents Missouri’s 47 electric cooperatives.