Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative apprentice lineworkers, from left, Tucker Saegert of Elgin, Kevin Christ of Schulenburg, Carter Brymer of Thorndale and Lane Magnuson of Lexington pose with their awards after sweeping the top four spots in both the overall apprentice competition and written exam at the 30th annual Texas Lineman’s Rodeo on July 18 in Seguin. Sarah Beal photo
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative apprentices dominated their division at the Texas Lineman's Rodeo on July 18, earning the top four overall places among 140 competitors. This marks the third consecutive year Bluebonnet apprentices placed among the competition’s top five.
Apprentices Kevin Christ, Carter Brymer, Lane Magnuson and Tucker Saegert claimed first through fourth places, respectively, in both the overall apprentice competition and the written exam.
For Christ, the results reflected the dedication and preparation the team put into the competition.
“The win was great, but being up there with my coworkers made it even better. We all practiced together, pushed each other and got to see that hard work pay off as a team.”
Christ said the rodeo training also helped him grow as a lineworker.
“It’s made me more comfortable on the pole and helped my climbing skills,” he said.
JD Boecker, a journeyman lineworker in Brenham and the team’s apprentice coach, said seeing the apprentices walk across the stage during the award ceremony was the highlight of the weekend.
“I didn’t think we’d top what we did last year, but we did,” Boecker said.
Magnuson and Saegert both claimed top-five finishes at the 2025 rodeo, while this was Christ’s first year competing for Bluebonnet. Brymer’s second-place finish came in his second appearance in the apprentice competition.
Boecker said the rodeo is about more than trophies. It gives lineworkers a chance to challenge themselves, learn from each other and continue to improve their professional skills.
“We’re all here to help each other out. Everybody’s giving pointers and making sure the next guy has a good run. We’re proud to represent Bluebonnet and show what our guys can do.”
The journeyman team of Michael Guajardo, David Martin and Kenneth Rouch earned third place overall in the senior team category.
This year, Bluebonnet sent 11 apprentice lineworkers, 12 journeymen, 12 staff judges and four barbecue pitmasters to Nolte Island Park in Seguin, where the rodeo takes place place to compete against other electric cooperatives, municipal utilities and investor-owned utilities from across Texas, as well as teams from Louisiana and California.
The competition, hosted by the Texas Lineman's Rodeo Association, highlights the technical skills, safety practices and teamwork lineworkers rely on every day.
Beginning at 6:30 a.m., competitors raced the clock to complete simulated job tasks on de-energized power lines, while apprentice lineworkers also completed a written exam. Throughout the day, family, friends, coworkers and fellow utility employees gathered to cheer them on.
Other competing apprentices included Taylor Burney, Grant Davis, Austin Farrar, Lance Kay, Drayten Morgan, Drew Morgan and Bradley Wood. Other journeyman team members included Colton Burch, Ty Duesterheft, Obed Guajardo, Derek Morgan, Cooper Lucherk, Ryan Quinton, Terry Swonke, Brad Young and John Wayne Zamora.
Coaches were Boecker, Danny Bolding and Troy Moore.
