Magoffin County team claims top spot in 2026 District 10 Roadeo championship
Estill County’s Matt Kirby wins individual championship
JACKSON, Ky. – Magoffin County's state highway crew won the county championship in the Department of Highways District 10’s annual Equipment Operators Safety Training Conference and Roadeo this week. The crew from Salyersville broke a two-year drought in the event that has been held annually in District 10 since 2006, with the exception of a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns. It was the 10th overall championship for Magoffin County in the event's 19-year history.
Estill County's Matt Kirby was the overall individual champion, compiling the best total score from all seven events that make up the competition.
This year's Roadeo was held May 13-14 at the Beattyville Equipment Garage and Lee County Maintenance facility. Partly cloudy skies and cool weather made for a pleasant two days of competition.
The annual Roadeo brings equipment operators from the district’s maintenance garages together for a day of friendly competition and fellowship. The event allows equipment operators from the district’s crews to show their skills in operating the equipment they use to maintain state highways in the district. The obstacle courses simulate actual situations equipment operators may encounter in the performance of their duties. The event is officially known as the Equipment Operators Safety Training Conference, and participants received training in driving safety during the event..
Individual event winners were:
- Backhoe: Chad Conway, Menifee County first place; Chuck Ward, Magoffin County, second place.
- Snowplow obstacle course (single-axle truck): Chuck Ward, Magoffin County, first place; Matt Kirby, Estill County, second place.
- Snowplow obstacle course (double-axle tandem truck): Ben Montgomery, Morgan County, first place; Matt Kirby, Estill County, second place.
- Tractor with mower: Chuck Ward, Magoffin County, first place; Ben Montgomery, Morgan County, second place.
- Grader: Matt Kirby, Estill County, first place; Chuck Ward, Magoffin County, second place.
- Lowboy tractor-trailer: Mitch Tyra, Beattyville Equipment, first place; Ben Montgomery, Morgan County, second place.
- Skid-steer: Mitch Tyra. Beattyville Equipment, first place; Austin Crace, Magoffin County, second place.
This year, District 10 debuted an excavator competition as a trial event. Similar in nature to the backhoe competition, this contest may be added to the official Roadeo competition in the future. Although the scores did not count when the overall county and individual championships were tallied, Mitch Tyra from Beattyville Equipment won first place and Mikey Botner from Roadside Development won second place.
The individual contest winners and runners-up will advance to a statewide competition against participants from the other 11 highway districts across Kentucky, to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in late June. State winners will be eligible to participate in the annual Southeastern Regional Equipment Operators Safety Training Conference competition, to be held in Virginia later this year.
“Once again, thanks to our employees at the equipment garage and elsewhere in the district, we had a successful Roadeo,” said Corbett Caudill, chief district engineer. “The event has expanded from one to two days, and from four to seven events, since District 10 held our first competition nearly 20 years ago. We really appreciate everyone's efforts to put on this event."
"Our county maintenance crew members have to work in all sorts of weather conditions and often at all hours," Caudill continued. "Operating the equipment used to maintain our highways year-round, and to keep them clear of snow and ice in the winter, takes a lot of skill and knowledge. The Roadeo gives our employees a chance to show off their abilities. It also lets them know that even though they work in different counties, they are all part of one team and that we appreciate all of them for their effort and hard work."
District 10 encompasses the counties of Breathitt, Estill, Lee, Magoffin, Menifee, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Powell and Wolfe in east-central and southeastern Kentucky.
(Note to editors: Photos of individual first- and second-place event winners, where available, can be obtained by contacting H.B. Elkins, District 10 public information officer, at hb.elkins@ky.gov.)
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Magoffin County state highway maintenance crew, 2026 District 10 Roadeo overall crew champions
Matt Kirby, 2026 District 10 Roadeo overall individual champion, from Estill County
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