Case Construction Equipment last week crowned Octavio Miranda, of Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, the champion of its Triple Threat Rodeo series, following a day-long competition among 59 pre-qualified equipment operators from the United States and Canada at the 2012 World of Concrete show in Las Vegas. The event, which was also a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, included prizes with a total value of nearly $140,000.
Miranda won a 2012 Ram 2500 truck for himself and a new Case TR270 compact track loader and a Towmaster trailer for his sponsoring company, L.M. Enterprises.
Owner/operator Allan Long, of Summerhill, Pa., finished second to win a $5,000 CNH Capital rewards card. Lloyd Lesher of Casper, Wyo., finished in third place, winning $1,250 in cash for himself and a $2,500 CNH Capital Card for his sponsoring company, Andreehunt Construction. The CNH Capital Cards are redeemable for products and services at any North American Case Construction Equipment dealer. First-, second- and third-place finishers also received custom belt buckles recognizing their performance.
The Triple Threat Rodeo program also served as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity affiliates across North America. Case presented a corporate contribution of $5,000 to Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas at the championship event, one year after kicking off the Triple Threat Rodeo program with an identical $5,000 donation. In addition, each participating Case dealership made a donation to its local Habitat affiliate, bringing the total raised during the program for Habitat affiliates to $51,726.
Competitors operates a Case F Series wheel loader, N Series loader/backhoe and Alpha Series skid steer through a course of challenges that simulated some of the most difficult applications facing equipment operators in their day-to-day jobs. Miranda, Long and Lesher were among the five finalists who competed to win their ranks as champion, second- and third-place finishers.
“We congratulate Octavio Miranda for his victory in the Case Triple Threat Rodeo Championship,” said Rob Marringa, Case brand marketing manager. “And we applaud all of our competitors in demonstrating their professionalism and skill as worthy representatives of their trade.”
From a field of more than 1,500 participants who competed in Case Triple Threat Rodeo events across the U.S. and Canada this year, the winners of local rodeo events each qualified to compete at the championship event. The local winners also received $500 in cash and Case gear.
Combined with funds raised through earlier equipment rodeos and other company and dealer events, Case and its dealers have contributed an aggregate total of more than $250,000 to local Habitat for Humanity affiliates.
A global, nonprofit housing organization, Habitat for Humanity has served more than 500,000 families by welcoming people to construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, visit www.habitat.org.
Headquartered in Racine, Wis., Case Construction Equipment manufactures loader/backhoes, articulated trucks, excavators, motor graders, wheel loaders, vibratory compaction rollers, crawler dozers, skid steers, compact track loaders and rough-terrain forklifts. Case is a division of CNH Global N.V., a majority-owned subsidiary of Fiat Industrial S.p.A.