Backhoe Rodeo

Pictured from left, back row, Cameron Cook, retiree Mike Silverthorne, Matthew Worthington, Chaz Hathaway, David McKeel, Jason Owens; front row, from left, Matthew Clark and Bryan Gutierrez

Backhoes hummed and groaned as operators in the Eastern Water and Wastewater Network Backhoe Rodeo manipulated the booms, sticks, and buckets with precision in competition.  

From knocking like-colored golf balls from orange cones and putting puzzles together with the bucket teeth, to picking up basketballs and maneuvering them into cans, the 2026 Backhoe Rodeo in Tarboro welcomed professionals from across the east to showcase their skills.  

There were six different events with scoring based on the time taken to complete each one. Penalties were added to the time if the operator dropped a ball, pipe, or chain; touched or knocked over a cone; or did not properly align objects. 

The Greenville Utilities team did not disappoint this year. Placing first in the Ball and Cone competition was O/M Crew Leader I Chaz Hathaway. Systems O/M Technician IV David McKeel placed first in the Pipe Walk. System O/M Technician III Matthew Worthington placed second in the puzzle board competition. Also representing GUC were Systems O/M Technician IV Jason Owens, Systems O/M Technician III Matthew Clark, Systems O/M Crew Leader I Cameron Cook, and Systems O/M Technician III Bryan Gutierrez. 

The 2026 Backhoe Rodeo was the largest that the Eastern Water and Wastewater Network has ever presented, with 35 entrants.