BEC
L EF T T O R IG H T : J OH N H ERN A N D EZ, DAVID BRICE , KE NNY ALF, BRAD DO WNUM, JAV I ER S A L A Z A R , JOH N R U S H , S C OT T D OWN U M, JES S E S A L A Z A R
BEC Journeyman Team Wins Best in State BY MELISSA WHITFIELD BEC Staff Writer
BEC WALKED AWAY WITH THREE FIRST-PLACE AND ONE third-place trophies at the 2018 Texas Lineman’s Rodeo held Saturday, July 21 in Seguin. BEC journeymen Scott Downum, Jesse Salazar and Javier Salazar won first place in Overall Journeyman, Journeyman Mystery Event Number One and Cooperatives categories. In the 45+ or Senior Division, BEC journeymen John Hernandez, Brad Downum and Kenneth Alf placed third. The BEC journeyman team and BEC apprentices Austin Allen, Justin Albarado and Jaleel Altakouri will now compete in the International Lineman’s Rodeo in Overland Park, Kansas, October 10—13. “This is simply outstanding, and I couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments! Our linemen had to compete against our sister cooperatives, municipalities and investor-owned utilities linemen—a total of 49 journeyman teams and 114 apprentices competing this year,” John Rush, BEC manager of transmission and distribution operations, said. “To have one of our journeyman teams win first place overall is a tremendous accomplishment. All of our linemen and apprentices put forth their best efforts, and our cooperative is extremely proud of these men.” The Texas Lineman’s Rodeo takes place every July in Seguin and consists of timed skills tests for apprentices and lineworkers in various electric utilities—contractors, cooperatives, investor-owned utilities and municipals. Linemen not only have to complete a task in a certain amount of time, they must also perform it correctly. “BEC has supported the Texas Lineman’s Rodeo over the years as a forum for linemen, apprentices and support staff to interact with their peers, share work practices and continually
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Texas Co-op Power BEC September 2018
improve the skills necessary to efficiently maintain our electric grids,” Rush explained. Mark Busby, BEC line foreman, attended his first Texas Lineman’s Rodeo in 2006, started competing in 2007 and was the first BEC lineman to walk the stage at the rodeo. Although Busby did not compete this year, he has remained active in the TLRA. This year he was one of two advisory board members assigned to Mystery Event #2. “I stay involved with the Lineman’s Rodeo because I feel strongly that being a lineman isn’t a career that just anybody can be successful at. Rodeo competition brings out the best in a lineman. Sometimes they surprise themselves in what they are able to accomplish,” Busby said. “The future leaders in the industry will come from the young men and women that compete.”
B E C J OU RN E Y MAN T E AM, L E F T T O RIGH T : J E SSE SAL AZ AR, J AV IE R SAL AZ AR, SC O TT DO W N UM
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