Thanks to his safety equipment, including climbing belts and pole slings, Little River Electric lineman James Beasley is able to hang from a pole during the South Carolina Lineman’s Rodeo.
By Josh P. Crotzer
For Levi James, having his family cheering him on was the highlight of this year’s South Carolina Lineman’s Rodeo.
“I love having them here,” says James, a journeyman lineman with Little River Electric. “I wouldn’t change it for the world. They support me, and I support them.”
Sponsored by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, the rodeo mirrors real-world challenges lineworkers face daily. In March, family, friends and peers of lineworkers from across the state gathered at York Electric Cooperative to see what the competitors do each day to power their communities.
Working with de-energized conductors under blue skies, electric cooperative linemen climbed the dozens of utility poles set up for the com- petitions and changed lightning arrestors on overhead line transformers, repaired broken neutral wire and simulated rescuing a fellow lineman.
James, along with fellow journeyman crewmates Bret Timmerman and Gavin Magaha, channeled that support toward a third-place finish in the Hurtman Rescue event. Additional Journeyman Division events included Insulator Change-out, Crossarm Changeout Relay and Down Neutral.
Little River also had three competitors in the Apprentice Division—Noah Edmonds, James Beasley and Ean Laughlin—who took advantage of the opportunity to refine their skills in Hurtman Rescue, Transformer Arrestor Change-out, Obstacle Course and Open Wire Secondary Repair.
“No doubt, competing in the rodeo builds us as a team,” says James. “It helps us work better with one another.”
Levi James, Bret Timmerman and Gavin Magaha placed third in the Hurtman Rescue event.
While the South Carolina Lineman’s Rodeo allows crews to showcase their skills to families and peers, the event prioritizes safety above speed. Each competition underscores precision, communication and control under pressure. The rodeo emphasizes safety through strict judging criteria designed to reinforce essential daily practices.
The rodeo opened with a flag-raising ceremony featuring lineworkers from each participating cooperative mounting the American, South Carolina and Touchstone Energy Cooperatives flags atop utility poles. The festival-like atmosphere also included demonstrations and workshops offering families insights into the complexities of electricity management. Interactive exhibits, such as live-line demonstrations, highlighted the importance of safety around power lines.
Volunteers and family members from various co-ops supported the linemen and their work. WIRE (Women Involved in Rural Electrification) hosted a bake sale to raise funds for the Chavis House at Burn Centers of America in Augusta, a facility that has treated many injured linemen.
The South Carolina electric cooperatives community also rallied to support two injured linemen from New Horizon Electric, raising funds through a raffle.
These kids put the little in Little River Electric, cheering on their dads and having fun at the rodeo.
