Team PEC was dominant at the 2023 Texas Lineman’s Rodeo in Seguin on July 15, taking home a total of 29 awards!
Journeyworkers and apprentices competed in events such as pole climb, hurtman rescue, insulator change, a written test, and more. PEC teams also won first place for brisket, third place for ribs, and first place overall in the barbecue competition.
Our crews’ continued success at this competition not only is the result of their hard work to build a culture of commitment and excellence, but it also proves the effectiveness of investing in the training and safety of lineworkers. Canyon Lake Journeyworker Darren Donhauser spoke about how important it is to train well for such a prestigious event.
“When you’re at competition, you run slower in every event,” Donhauser said. “When you’re practicing, you get to work out the kinks and start again. But here, you have one chance. You just do your best and hope for the best.”
Since PEC opened the Safety and Technical Training Center in July of 2020, these men and women have been provided with state-of-the-art training in the exact skills tested at rodeo. This helps us win competitions while also strengthening our reliability for the entire system of our service area.
“We’re committed to fostering a culture of safety and excellence at PEC, and this competition clearly demonstrates the dedication our lineworkers show each day to serve our membership,” said Eddie Dauterive, PEC chief operations officer. “We’re incredibly proud of our rodeo team and grateful for their efforts, both here at the Texas rodeo and in the field.”
Our crews will now move on to the International Lineman’s Rodeo, which will take place October 11-14 in Overland Park. Hats off to all competitors!
Overall Journeyman Awards
First place: Darren Donhauser, David Hernandez, Jason Dean
Second place: Caleb Brodock, Garrit Afman, Thomas Logan
Overall Cooperative Journeyman Awards
First place: Darren Donhauser, David Hernandez, Jason Dean
Second place: Caleb Brodock, Garrit Afman, Thomas Logan
Third place: Tyler Horn, Justin Ferry, Marshall Verette
Overall Apprentice Awards
First place: Blaine Preuit
Second place: Zack Gough
Third place: Daniel Wilson
Journeyman Hurtman Rescue
First place: Darren Donhauser, David Hernandez, Jason Dean
Journeyman Pole Climb
Second place: Caleb Brodock, Garrit Afman, Thomas Logan
Journeyman Obstacle Pole
First place: Caleb Brodock, Garrit Afman, Thomas Logan
Journeyman Transformer Change
First place: Darren Donhauser, David Hernandez, Jason Dean
Apprentice Written Test
First place: Blaine Preuit
Third place: Zack Gough
Fourth place: Daniel Wilson
Apprentice Hurtman Rescue
First place: Blaine Preuit
Third place: Zack Gough
Apprentice Pole Climb
Second place: Chayton Boyd
Fourth place: Matt Romero
Apprentice Insulator Change
Second place: Zachary McFee
Apprentice Transformer Bank Wire-up
First place: Matt Mabry
Second place: Colton Harris
Third place: Chayton Boyd
Fourth place: Zachary McFee
Fifth place: Zack Gough
Barbecue competition
First place Overall: Daniel Friesenhahn, Clinton Ullmann, JR Lombard
First place Brisket: Daniel Friesenhahn, Clinton Ullmann, JR Lombard
Third place Ribs: Daniel Friesenhahn, Clinton Ullmann, JR Lombard
Obstacle Course for Ages 8-11
Third place: David Hernandez’s son: Lane Hernandez
