Congrats to our 2025 rodeo team for bringing home eight awards from the 39th annual International Lineman’s Rodeo in Kansas on October 18. During the day-long event, the best linemen from around the world compete in events based on traditional linemen tasks.
Utilities compete in four journeyman team events—three linemen and a coach—or individually in five apprentice events.
A record number of linemen competed in the event this year, pitting Cobb EMC’s journeyman team against 290 teams and our four apprentices against 364 other apprentice linemen. Leading up to the rodeo, linemen practice for two known events, but don’t find out what the mystery events are until the day before the competition.
Cobb EMC linemen received the following awards:
Journeyman Team Event Results
Austin Cunningham, Jeremy McBrayer, Clayton Patterson
Journeyman team coach: Ian Hansman
- 2nd place in REA Division
- 4th place in Hurtman Rescue
- 9th place in Mystery Event #1
- 14th place in Best of the Best
- 22nd place in Pole Climb
- 27th place in Mystery Event #2
Apprentice Linemen Event Results
Ben Orton, Matthew Hoven, Trapper Ramsey
Apprentice coach: Blake Goggins
- 13th place Mystery Event #1: Trapper Ramsey
- 14th place Mystery Event #2: Matthew Hoven
Our 2025 team trained well before the rodeo with drills and practice to make these awards possible. We’re proud of their hard work leading up to – and during – the event!