The third annual HDD Rodeo, held in Perry, Ga., was the site of fierce competition between 35 drilling crews. Over the three-day period, drilling crews competed for over $130,000 in prizes. The goal was to be the fastest and most accurate drilling crew. The competition really heated up on the final day, during which the top five drilling crews all competed.

The top prizewinner was Rice Tunneling and Boring, Duncanville, Texas, with 64.11 minutes; B & W Backhoe #1, Denton, Texas, came in second with 85.41 minutes; Sure Shot Boring, Lancaster, Ohio, was third with 96.18 minutes. Mid-South Pipeline, Richmond Hill, Ga., secured fourth place with 108.03 minutes, and Cross Country Excavation, Mt. Lake, Minn., came in fifth place with a 109.14 minute timing.

Competition was based in a 200-foot bore and required installation of a four-inch pipe. The maximum rig capacity allowed was 40,000 pounds. The bore path was 200 feet in length and 48-inch depth to the top of the ground, with a three-foot off set to the left at the exit point. Time was judged as the drill crew began to push pipe into the ground; time was stopped when the head exited the ground at the 200-foot mark. Time was taken again when the crew began the pullback of the pipe. When the pipe exited the ground, time was stopped once more. Both times were added together to get the total time.

Various penalties based upon the number of inches off the prescribed path (left to right, as well as up and down) at a rate of three minutes per inch off the drill path were added to the total times. Crews also were penalized three minutes for every inch out of the targeted six-inch circle at the 200-foot point. If a crew hit the targeted six-inch circle at the end of the drill path, five minutes were removed from their total time for the drill.

Case, Vermeer, Linc.net, American Augers, Wenzel Downhole Tools, Ltd., Drill Tube International and Nicheweb sponsored events for attendees.