Line personnel from Illinois electric cooperatives participated in the annual Lineman’s Safety Rodeo coordinated by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC) on Thursday, Sept. 24. Twenty-two teams from 15 electric co-ops, two municipal electric utilities and four line school students participated in the friendly competition. Five competed individually. The event was held at the LLCC Line School yard in Springfield.
Teams from across Illinois competed in events using skills that focus on agility, speed and accuracy. While these skills are part of the judging criteria, above all, participants are judged on safe work practices. Events included an egg climb, a cutout change, an H-structure crossover, the hurt man rescue and a transition climbing challenge.
Scores for each event were based on completion time, proper execution of the task and safety. Deductions were made to a team or individual’s overall performance score due to mistakes such as slipping when climbing poles, dropping tools or executing inappropriate procedures or methods.
Additional photos: https://aiecphoto.smugmug.com/AIEC/2026-AIEC/AIE2026Rodeo
2026 team awards
H-structure crossover
- 1st Place: Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative
- Gavin Bennett
- Grant Cooper
- Shane Ruppert
- 2nd Place: Southwestern Electric Cooperative
- Braden Clark
- Reid Fahrenholtz
- James Rickermann
- 3rd Place: Egyptian Electric Cooperative
- Andy Ahner
- Tyler Atchison
- Mike Smith
Cutout change
- 1st Place: Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative
- Gavin Bennett
- Grant Cooper
- Shane Ruppert
- 2nd Place: Egyptian Electric Cooperative
- Andy Ahner
- Tyler Atchison
- Mike Smith
- 3rd Place: Clinton County Electric Cooperative
- Craig Benhoff
- Jordan Foos
- Braden Trame
Egg climb
- 1st Place: Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative
- Gavin Bennett
- Grant Cooper
- Shane Ruppert
- 2nd Place: City of Breese
- Zane Schrage
- Cole Timmermann
- Jordan Vonderhaar
- 3rd Place: Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative
- Joey Gady
- Klayton Grove
- Damian Melgoza
Hurt man rescue
- 1st Place: Egyptian Electric Cooperative
- Andy Ahner
- Tyler Atchison
- Mike Smith
- 2nd Place: Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative
- Gavin Bennett
- Grant Cooper
- Shane Ruppert
- 3rd Place: City of Breese
- Zane Schrage
- Cole Timmermann
- Jordan Vonderhaar
Overall team
- Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative
- Gavin Bennett
- Grant Cooper
- Shane Ruppert
2026 individual awards
H-structure crossover
- 1st Place: Drayton Davis – Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative
- 2nd Place: Grant Cooper – Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative
- 3rd Place: Dustin Waddell – Adams Electric Cooperative
Egg climb
- 1st Place: Drayton Davis – Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative
- 2nd Place: Grant Cooper – Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative
- 3rd Place: Dalton Brown – Shelby Electric Cooperative
Individual hurt man rescue
- 1st Place: Mike Smith – Egyptian Electric Cooperative
- 2nd Place: Tyler Atchison – Egyptian Electric Cooperative
- 3rd Place: Grant Cooper – Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative
Overall individual
- Drayton Davis – Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative
40-foot transition climbing challenge
- Drayton Davis – Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative