Blue Grass Energy Takes Top Honors at 2010 Kentucky Lineman's Rodeo
07/31/2010

A team of three Blue Grass Energy employees outperformed 16 other teams to capture the first place team award at the 2010 Kentucky Lineman's Rodeo held July 29-30 in Paducah.

The Blue Grass Energy #1 Team–groundman Eugene Neely, journeyman linemen Brad Wiglesworth and Miles Shumaker–completed a series of tasks–hurtman rescue, pole climb, and two "mystery" events concocted by the KAEC safety and loss prevention staff–in a time of 27 minutes and 16.63 seconds and a perfect score of 600.

Chris Law, an employee of Warren RECC, was named the top apprentice lineman. Law completed a series of four tasks–hurtman rescue, pole climb, A-3 clip-in, and cross arm move–in 14 minutes and 10.19 seconds and a perfect score of 400.

Corey Weaver, also an employee of Warren RECC, was named top journeyman lineman. Weaver completed the same four tasks as the apprentice competition in 17 minutes and 48.58 seconds and received a perfect score of 400.

"The journeman tasks are really hard," says KAEC's Director of Safety and Loss Prevention Clarence Greene, "because the linemen have to wear rubber gloves to do the same work that the apprentices do in just leather gloves."

Jackson Purchase Energy hosted this year's rodeo at their headquarters.

"We were delighted with the opportunity to host the rodeo," says Jackson Purchase Energy CEO Kelly Nuckols. "We found it particularly gratifying that many co-ops from the central and eastern parts of the state made the long drive to Paducah to participate. We were glad to show our fellow co-ops great western Kentucky hospitality."

2010 marked the sixth year for the Kentucky Lineman's Rodeo and the first year in which the event was held at a location other than East Kentucky Power Cooperative's training facility in Winchester.

"I'm really pleased with how the rodeo has developed into a safety education program for our outside employees," says Bill Corum, president and CEO of KAEC/UUS. "We enjoy the speed and the competition, but the focus is where it should be–on safety and learning."

Employees of electric co-ops, municipal utilities, investor-owned utilities, and even vendors served as judges. The master judge was Mike Diggs of Jackson (TN) Electric Authority.

Chief judges included the following:
Jerry French, Nolin RECC
Bill Massey, KAEC
Butch Morris, Warren RECC
Bode McKinley, Owen Electric
Steve Stanfill, Jackson (TN) Electric Authority
Robert Thornton, Nolin RECC

Ten of the eleven participating co-ops provided volunteers to assist with the rodeo. KAEC safety and loss prevention employees–Clarence Greene, Kendall Bush, Bill Masey, and David White–along with Barbara Rodgers, KAEC's director of meeting coordination, coordinated the event.

The 2011 rodeo will be in Bowling Green and hosted by Warren RECC.

To learn more about the rodeo, visit the Kentucky Lineman's Rodeo website.

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