Miller-Bradford & Risberg Inc. hosted a Case Rodeo Series event at its Sussex, Wis., facility May 19.

Nationwide in 2007, Case dealers will be holding approximately 50 backhoe rodeo events to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the first factory-integrated tractor loader backhoe — the Case Model 320.

All first place finishers of the Case Rodeo Series events will receive a $500 VISA card, a collectible one-sixteenth scale model of the Case 50th Anniversary Edition backhoe and a special edition Rodeo Series jacket. In addition, all first place contestants will receive a trip for two with accommodations to the March 2008 Con Expo-Con/AGG show in Las Vegas, where they will compete in the Case North American Championship Event. The grand champion will win a fully loaded 50th Anniversary Edition Case 580 Super M Series 2 backhoe valued at $119,203.

During the events, each participating Case dealer also will donate to a local Habitat for Humanity chapter, helping to raise awareness of the organization and helping it to recruit volunteers.

Approximately 73 local contractors competed in three skilled events, which will be featured at all Case Series Rodeo events: the Balance Beam, Drop in the Bucket and Setting the Charge.

The Balance Beam event featured a beam with a PVC pipe attached to each end. The beam was initially set on a T-stand with softballs set on each pipe. Contestants then had to pick up the beam using two chains and relocate it to another T-stand without losing the softballs atop the PVC pipes.

The Drop in the Bucket event featured three balls — basketball, soccer and softball — that contestants had to scoop off of a pylon and subsequently drop into a container.

For the Setting the Charge event, contestants had to pick up two puzzle pieces hanging (and often swinging) from chains — a triangle and square — and carefully set each into its corresponding mat on the ground.

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