Local "Electric Cowboys" to Compete at International Rodeo

The 20th Annual International Lineman's Rodeo & Expo begins October 16 and continues through October 18 in Bonner Springs, Kansas.

    KISSIMMEE, FL (PRWEB) October 17, 2003 -- 8:15 am -- The best linemen from Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) have joined linemen from other utilities around the world to participate in their very own version of the rodeo. And in a profession where a mistake can mean disaster or death, their combination of skill, safety and speed will prove crucial in the annual competition.

    The 20th Annual International Lineman's Rodeo & Expo begins Thursday and continues through Saturday in Bonner Springs, Kansas. The rodeo attracts the best linemen from around the world to compete in events based on traditional lineman tasks. The first rodeo was held in September 1984, with twelve participating teams from utilities in Kansas and Missouri. The rodeo has grown now to over 236 three-man teams and more than 260 apprentices from across the U.S. and around the world.

    Aaron Haderle, Bruce Thompson, and Joe Watson make up KUA's three-man team, with Mike Fulmore serving as alternate. Jamie Boswell is competing individually in the apprentice competition. Bill Groover and Alberto Mercado are serving as support personnel and judges at the event.

    The team competitions consist of four timed events: a pole climb in which participants must hold a raw egg in their mouths, hurt-man rescue and two mystery events. Participants will not know the nature of the mystery events until just before the rodeo begins. The apprentice competition includes the timed events as well as a written test. All areas of the competition are conducted without the use of live electricity.

    "The focus of the rodeo is for the participants to perform their skills in a technical, proficient manner, with safety being the #1 priority," said Chris Gent, KUA's manager of corporate communications. "The competition helps keep our linemen's skill level high and gives them a spirit of competition."

    More than 4,000 people are expected to attend this year's event.
    Founded in 1901, KUA is Florida's sixth largest community-owned utility serving 61,000 electric, water and Internet customers in five Central Florida counties.

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