From Texas Champs to Global Contenders
CoServ Competes in First International Lineman's Rodeo
CoServ sent seven linemen to the International Lineman’s Rodeo held Oct. 14-17 in the Kansas City area. This marked the first time CoServ has competed internationally against colleagues from across the United States and Canada.
As always, our teams – two Journeyman teams and an apprentice – represented CoServ with professionalism and pride. They stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the best in the industry and it was a valuable learning opportunity that gave us insight into the competition.
“We’re proud of how our linemen performed and are already looking forward to returning next year with even more experience and enthusiasm,” said Andrew Pierce, CoServ’s Operations Manager.
The goal is to not get any gigs, or mistakes, which lead to point deductions said Luke Hawkins, who competed on one of the Journeyman Teams. His team got a few minor gigs, but overall they did great. They barely went over the mean time by about 30 seconds on one event and less than a minute on another.
The Competitors
The Journeyman Teams
- Justin Brown, Jared Day and Garett McFerren
- Chris Hammonds, Alex Garza and Luke Hawkins
Apprentice:
- Kenny Beutter
What Makes it Different?
Luke said they competed against nearly 300 Journeyman Teams while the Apprentice Division had more than 400 individual apprentices. The Texas Lineman’s Rodeo typically has about 70 to 80 teams. Besides the scale of the event, the biggest difference was the weather, which was mild and pleasant in mid-October in Kansas City compared to hot and sweaty in mid-July in Central Texas.
“It was great and I really enjoyed it,” Luke said. “Sometimes, the Texas rodeo you dread because of the heat. You want to compete and get out of there.”
At the Texas Lineman’s Rodeo, Luke’s team competes in the Senior Journeyman division for linemen ages 45 and up. But the International Lineman’s Rodeo requires competitors to be 50 years of age or older to compete in the Senior Journeyman division. With one member of the team still at age 49, they were lumped into the Journeyman division.
“We went and still beat 85 other teams who are a little bit younger than us,” Luke said. “We didn’t win but we didn’t bomb it either. We were satisfied and know what to look for next year.”
The Events
The international rodeo throws curveballs at the competitors by keeping the events a secret, making it harder to prepare. A month before the competition, rodeo organizers sent photos of how the poles are built but no specifics on what they will be tasked with doing.
They tried to decipher what the events would be based on the photos but were still surprised when they arrived, Luke said.
Besides the usual hurt man rescue and pole climbing race, the events included changing out a 10-foot cross arm and replacing two bell insulators. Apprentices had different events, including a lightning arrestor change out, in addition to a written test, which Kenny scored an 85 on.
International Lineman Rodeo
Looking Back at the Texas Lineman's Rodeo
Earlier this year, CoServ linemen took home four trophies from the Texas Lineman’s Rodeo in Seguin, Texas, the best overall rodeo results in CoServ’s history. All the teams that won hardware are now gearing up for the International Lineman’s Rodeo this month! This is the first time CoServ has sent teams to the so-called “Super Bowl” of lineman rodeos.
The same work ethic and professionalism that motivates CoServ linemen when they’re working in your neighborhood pushed them to make their co-op proud at the statewide competition and will now carry them through to the International Competition. These events highlight the capabilities and know-how of CoServ linemen as they compete against fellow linemen while allowing them to learn from one another and hone their skills.
The International Lineman’s Rodeo promises to be harder, more competitive, and more unpredictable, with contestants finding out the day before what the different challenges will be instead of having months to train ahead of time.
Stay tuned for more coverage and details forthe 2026 rodeos.
Want to see our Lineman in action? Head over to the Lineman Rodeo page to see highlights from this year's Texas Lineman's Rodeo and more!
ABOVE: The CoServ Senior Journeyman Team performs the Disconnect and Arrestor Change. Luke Hawkins holds the hand line on the ground while Alex Garza and Chris Hammonds work on the pole.
BELOW LEFT: CoServ Apprentice Kenny Beutter, Journeyman Jared Day, Journeyman Garrett McFerren, Journeyman Justin Brown, Crew Supervisor Chris Hammonds, Job Training & Safety Specialist Luke Hawkins and Senior Field Construction Coordinator Alex Garza.
BELOW MIDDLE: 5th Place Written Test & 4th Place Overall Apprentice CoServ Lineman Apprentice Kenny Beutter.
BELOW RIGHT: CoServ Journeyman Team 1st Place in the Cooperative Division: Jared Day, Garrett McFerren & Justin Brown.
