2026 RodE&O Conference & Expo

Includes: Access to all events on Wed and Thurs (breakfast, lunch, breaks, educational breakout sessions and Expo Hall). Not included are Tuesday's events.

Includes: All events on Wednesday (breakfast, educational sessions, breaks).

Includes: All events on Tuesday (breakfast, Rodeo, lunch, dinner).

Includes: 10' by 33' outdoor space, available for parking with demo or display. Please note: engines cannot run during show. One representative included, additional reps for a fee.

Includes: Table with linen and 2 chairs in the exhibit hall and 10' by 33' outdoor space, available for parking with demo or display. Includes two representatives, additional reps for a fee. Please note: engines cannot run during show.

Exhibitors have the option to add attendance for up to three additional representatives. 

If you would like to add an electricity hook-up to your exhibit space you may, for an additonal fee. 

For Conference Registration, Cancellations are accepted until 4/24/2026. Substitutions can be made at any time.

For Benevolent Fund Activities, Registration fees are non-refundable. Substitutions can be made at any time.

• Lodging is not included in registration fees. Please see the Lodging tab ( HERE ) for more details.
• No dinner is provided on Wednesday. Attendees are expected to make plans for dinner on their own.

Team Definition: Three lineworkers who may rotate between events as climbers/groundmen. All climbers must be current lineworkers or have been otherwise classified as a lineworker/apprentice.

Judging will be based upon safety procedures, work practices, neatness and ability, equipment handling and timely completion of each event, (however, time will only be used in case of a tie). Any mistake made that would under normal working conditions cause serious injury or death will constitute immediate disqualification. Any event judge, with consensus of the master judge, can disqualify a team for inappropriate conduct at any rodeo event, including the awards banquet. Disqualified competitors must leave the rodeo grounds immediately and may not participate in any other rodeo-related activity for the remainder of the rodeo. Competitors that have been disqualified will forfeit any scores prior to the disqualifying event. A letter documenting the conditions that warranted disqualification will be sent to the competitor's employer.

THERE WILL BE NO COACHING OF TEAMS FROM THE SIDELINES. NO WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED BY JUDGES. COACHING WILL RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC 2 POINT DEDUCTION. IF COACHING CONTINUES TEAMS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FROM THAT EVENT

Hard hats & safety glasses are required for all participants & for all events.

Long sleeve shirts are required for all events. Sleeves may not be pushed up or rolled and must be buttoned (if applicable). Shirt tails must be tucked in at the start of the event.

Work gloves are required for all groundmen for all events.

Climbers are required to wear rubber gloves ground to ground, unless specified otherwise in the event description.

Climbing participants must inspect rubber gloves using the manufacturer’s field air test prior to each event.

Climbing belt, climbers, fall arrest & secondary belts must be in good, safe, working condition.

Fall arrest is mandatory for all rodeo events.

Fall arrest must be properly adjusted.

Handline must be secured to belt using a plastic breakaway hook. The first climber must secure handline to pole before the second climber ascends the pole.

Neutral must be handled by gloved hand or appropriate tool.

Positive Control is defined as placing a conductor or any other potentially hazardous piece of equipment into a desired position in the work area. “Control” may be affected by means of a tool (shotgun, clothespin(s)), materials (tape) or by direct physical contact by the lineworker.  Any questions regarding “Positive Control” should be directed to the Event or Master Judge

Participants will have five minutes prior to each event to ask questions, layout tools, test gloves, test pole & adjust fall arrest.

Tool sharing between teams is allowed.

Questions will not be permitted during judging. 

Judges are to be dressed in appropriate PPE.  Active event areas are to be considered workzones, therefore judges must wear a hard hat, safety glasses, long pants, shirts, and appropriate footwear.

Judges cannot judge their own teams, in any events.

Judges are expected to attend Judges meeting, held prior to the Rodeo, as well as have a firm understanding of any events they are judging.

Judges should judge each event and competitor evenly and unbiasedly.

Must have a clipboard and a stopwatch capable of recording times down to hundredths of seconds.

Foul Weather Gear is not required; however, it is a good idea to be prepared as the rodeo goes on rain or shine

Judges will show respect to team members and apprentices and treat them with fairness and courtesy.  High fives, smirks, and other visible inappropriate actions will not be tolerated from judges. Unfair judging and disrespect to contestants will not be tolerated as well as disrespect to judges from contestants will not be tolerated. This type of behavior will result in a letter being written to management of the company involved. Judges must not judge a team from their own company.  If this happens the judge will be disqualified and the team will receive a 10-point deduction for the event judged.

All judges are expected to handle themselves in a professional manner during all meetings, hotel stays, and at any other sponsored function of the NEPPA Rodeo. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action up to being released from your duties and responsibilities of the NEPPA Rodeo.

Each event is worth 100 total points.

All safety rules are to be observed during all the events.

INFRACTIONS - 2-POINT DEDUCTION

1. Coaching teams from the sidelines
2. Improper use or loss of hard hat.
3. Improper use or loss of safety glasses.
4. Improper wearing of shirts (please see long sleeve shirts requirement)
5. Improper adjustment of fall arrest.
6. Cutout/Loss of Control.
7. No rubber on reach, fall or slip.
8. Misuse of rubber.
9. Dropping of tools.
10. Misuse of tools.
11. First climber fails to carry handline.
12. Failure to use break away style hook for attachment of handline to climbing belt.
13. First climber fails to secure handline to pole before second climber ascends pole.
14. Operation of hand line while any climber is ascending or descending pole.
15. Groundman not tagging handline for climber ascending or descending pole.
16. Handline is dropped while both climbers are up the pole.
17. Hot-dogging.
18. Poor housekeeping.
19. Groundman removing or failure to wear work gloves.

INFRACTIONS - 5-POINT DEDUCTION

1. Exceeding “Drop Dead” time on any event EXCEPT Hurt Man Rescue

INFRACTIONS - 10-POINT DEDUCTION

1. Working opposite phases. (Installation of cover is considered “working”.)
2. Not using handline or material bag for sending material up and down the pole.
3. Two climbers ascending or descending the same pole at the same time.
4. Cutout and fall to ground.
5. Giving up on event.
6. Failure to adhere to the ground to ground rubber glove rule (unless otherwise noted in event description.)
7. Exceeding “Drop Dead” time on Hurt Man Rescue event only.

1. A team may appeal to the Event Judge for any disputed call.
2. If the Event Judge’s ruling on the appeal is unsatisfactory, a final appeal may be made to the Master Judge. Master Judges’ ruling is FINAL.
3. No team may appeal ruling on another team score.
   

NOTE: All participants will be required to sign their scoresheet indicating agreement with the final score. Once a participant signs the scoresheet and leaves an event, that score is FINAL and ineligible for appeal.

The use of an ox block will be allowed for all events EXCEPT Hurt Man Rescue.

Event rotation flow will be monitored and enforced. Teams will have enough time between events to check in with the event judges when they arrive at the event.  Event rotation schedules will be distributed with registration packets. Score sheets will include a check-in/check-out time. Judges will also have a schedule with check-in/check-out times as well as team names so that participants can be located more easily for enforcement