Above: Competitors drive John Deere 544J front-end loaders.
The fourth John Deere Load America competition at World of Concrete had a decidedly family feeling this year. Three brothers—Aaron, Sam, and Abiathar Mahoney of Leopolis, Wis.—walked away with honors. Aaron and Sam both finished in first; Abiathar came in second.
Once again, competitors drove John Deere 544J front-end loaders around an obstacle course, performing an array of maneuvers. Drivers received points for tasks such as accurately backing up and parking. And there was the popular dropping a ball from the loader's bucket into a drum. (It's not as easy as it looks.)
Whether contestants came away with prizes or not, all had a good time. Here are the winners from each of the three days.
Tuesday's Winners
- First Place: Aaron Mahoney, Leopolis, Wis.
- Second Place: Jason Randall, North Salt Lake, Utah
- Third Place: Tim Figler, Evansville, Ind.
Wednesday's Winners
- First Place: Sam Mahoney, Leopolis, Wis.
- Second Place: Shawn Kuzma, Port Clinton, Ohio
- Third Place: Ben Haddad, Pleasanton, Calif.
Thursday's Winners
- First Place: Tyler Ogle, Mack, Colo.
- Second Place: Abiathar Mahoney, Leopolis, Wis.
- Third Place: Gary Finemore, Melbourne, Australia