TUPELO, Miss. (Press Release) —The Mississippi Department of Transportation recently held its annual District 1 Equipment Operators Roadeo in Tupelo.

Employee training is one way MDOT ensures that crews in the field are operating as safely as possible, and MDOT has taken a creative approach to training. The roadeos display MDOT’s skilled, competent maintenance workforce with the knowledge, skills and abilities gained from experience working on Mississippi’s highways.

District 1 events and winners are as follows:

Lowboy

- Steve Bass of Tupelo, first place

- Mike Mink of Tupelo, second place

- Keith Donahue of Tupelo, third place

Single-axle dump truck

- Steve Bass of Tupelo, first place

- Scottie Downs of Booneville, second place

- Matt Glissen of Fulton, third place

Tandem-axle dump truck

- Steve Allen of Booneville, first place

- Steve Bass of Tupelo, second place

- Roger Brown of Becker, third place

Backhoe

- Simpson Wofford of Becker, first place

- Shun Blansett of Houston, second place

- Dennis Washington of Eupora, third place

Motor grader

- Simpson Wofford of Becker, first place

- Matthew Prestage of Fulton, second place

- Andy Long of Tupelo, third place

Bush hog

- Charles Naron of Houston, first place

- Randy Vandevander of Tupelo, second place

- Charles Johnson of Houston, third place

The top two winners from each event have advanced to the state finals, which will be held in Natchez on June 6. At the state competition, winners from all six districts will compete and a state champion will be crowned.