Duke Energy Linemen Compete For Bragging Rights

ST. PETE, FL -- A team of Duke Energy linemen from St. Petersburg took second place at the Florida Lineman’s Rodeo held Feb. 23 at the Duke Energy Winter Garden Training Facility.

Duke line workers from around the state competed in hurt-man rescues, equipment repair and pole climbs during the rodeo. They were judged on speed, agility, technique and safety procedures. The winners will go on to compete at the International Lineman’s Rodeo in Bonner Springs, Kansas, this fall.

The international rodeo is the “Olympics” for linemen… where they compete for bragging rights to be considered among the best of the best in the world.

The team from the Duke Energy Operations Center, 2501 25th St. N., St. Petersburg, included Michael Euliss, William Long and Jarrod Robinson.

The Apopka Operations Center team of Cody Ellis. Chase Ritch and Tim West took first place.

Third-place went to a team composes of Clay Baxter of the Jamestown Operations Center, Sean Cooke of the Southeast Orlando Operations Center and Josh Wilson of the Winter Gardens Operations Center.

Apprentice winners were Aaron Gilbert of Jamestown, Brian Adlam of the Lake Wales Operations Center and Steven Goepfert of the Inverness Operations Center.

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)