Gulf Operators Rodeo

Last month, Gulf Operators hosted their annual employee appreciation event, the always-popular Gulf Operators Rodeo. With over 200 team members on site, the day was all about celebrating skills, teamwork, and of course, a little friendly competition.

This year’s Rodeo featured hands-on challenges that put our equipment operators to the test. From the Bulldozer Obstacle Course to the Excavator Tire Stack, operators got to show off their skills as they navigated through obstacles and stacked tires. The top three from each event moved on to the Backhoe Final Competition, where they had to push pails across a plank and carefully drop balls into a barrel using just the backhoe bucket.

Congratulations to the event winners: 

• 1st Place: Ryan Pelletier
• 2nd Place: Alex Boone
• 3rd Place: Joel Kilpatrick

There were plenty of other fun challenges too, like the Pit Stop Challenge, where teams raced to get a tire back on an axle, and the Egg Break Challenge, where operators had to crack an egg inside a glass without breaking it, using only an excavator. On top of the competitions, the event also featured axe throwing, an equipment simulator, and over 20 industry vendors. A local food truck kept everyone fueled throughout the day, and giveaways added to the fun, making the event even more enjoyable for everyone involved.

For Kelly Roberts, Safety Administrator, it was her first time attending the Rodeo. She said "I was blown away by the teamwork. Everyone pitched in and made the day run so smoothly—it was really inspiring.” 

Allison Ryan, Project Coordinator, led the event and shares, “Planning the rodeo is a lot of work, but very fun and rewarding. Seeing everyone come together, cheer each other on, and enjoy the day really shows the strong community we have here.” 

It was a day full of skill, fun, a great reminder of what makes Gulf Operators such an incredible place to work.