At a competition packed with skilled lineworkers from across the state, Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative teams secured spots to compete among the most elite lineworkers across the country at the International Lineman’s Rodeo in October. 

Nine apprentice lineworkers, four three-man journeymen teams, four barbecue pitmasters and ten staff judges joined hundreds of colleagues from across the state at Nolte Island Park near Seguin for the 28th Texas Lineman’s Rodeo on July 20.

The rodeo began at 6:30 a.m. to help ensure most events were completed before the midday summer heat. During the competition, lineworkers raced against time to climb and competitively work on unenergized power lines. They also performed tasks including replacing equipment and wiring transformers. Apprentice lineworkers tested their knowledge on a written exam.  

While the competition was underway, lineworkers were cheered on by family, friends, coworkers and employees from other city and cooperative electric utilities.

Bluebonnet ended the day victorious. Michael Guajardo, Brandon Johnson and Kenneth Roush won first place for the second year in a row in the senior journeymen team division for lineworkers 45 and older. 

“The keys to our success were our teamwork and communication,” Guajardo said. “Talking through ideas, problem-solving and understanding each other’s roles are vital for working toward a common goal.”

Colton Burch, an apprentice lineworker, received two second-place awards: as apprentice lineworker and in the written exam. “It was real when they called my name,” he said. 

Journeymen lineworker team Kyle Kasper, Logan Lancaster and Andrew Murphy demonstrated speed and safety skills to place fourth in the pole climb event. To sweeten the deal, Zachary Handrick, Huston Burgess and Bryan Woods won fourth place for their brisket in the barbecue cook-off.

The biggest takeaway for first-time competitor Burch was the support he received from his family, coworkers and all the guys that compete, he said. 

“We practice specifically for the rodeo for a handful of days, but in reality, we practice every day when we’re working on restoring power for our members,” Burch said.

Troy Moore, one of Bluebonnet’s rodeo team coaches and a Bluebonnet line crew supervisor in Bastrop, spoke about pride in how the lineworkers performed, adding that the rodeo gives apprentices and journeymen a chance to practice their skills, test their knowledge and build camaraderie. 

“It’s about building confidence and fostering teamwork, qualities that are crucial in our daily work providing reliable power to our community,” Moore said. 

The 2024 rodeo team members were Reid Hanna, Nick Steuermann, Tucker Saegert, Justin Lewis, Colton Burch, J.D. Boecker, Lane Magnuson, Cooper Lucherk, Trevor Williams, Michael Guajardo, Kenneth Roush, Brandon Johnson, Kyle Kasper, Logan Lancaster, Andrew Murphy, John Courtney, Brad Young, Parker Redwine, Ty Duesterheft, John Zamora and Joe Lockhart. Coaches were Daniel Fritsche, Danny Bolding, Troy Moore and Chris Rivera. 

Founded in 1996 and hosted by the Texas Lineman’s Rodeo Association, the rodeo events are designed to mirror the challenges lineworkers across the state encounter daily while working to provide reliable power to more than 30 million Texas residents.