Moving up from fourth place last year, Brian McCumber, Tomahawk, Wis., took first place in this year’s Prentice Loader Championship at the Lake States Logging Congress, September 6-7 in Escanaba, Mich.
The competition raised $820 for Log A Load For Kids through voluntary contributions from the 79 contestants and the company’s match. Log A Load is an organization sponsored by loggers and other forest products people to raise funds for hospitals associated with the Children’s Miracle Network.
McCumber’s time on the contest machine, a Cat 559C knuckleboom loader, was 2 minutes, 29.82 seconds in the first run and 2 minutes, 18.91 seconds in the Trophy Run. Matt Hartwig, Medford, Wis., took second place with a final time of 2 minutes, 26.19 seconds. Ron Shamion Jr. finished third with a final time of 2 minutes, 38.13 seconds.
First, second and third place winners received cash prizes, trophies and Prentice Loader Championship jackets. The fourth and fifth place winners also received jackets.
First introduced at Expo Richmond in 1972, the Prentice Loader Championship is a contest in which operators demonstrate their skill with the loader by picking up and moving blocks between two checkerboards.
For more information on Cat, Prentice and CTR products, visit www.cat.com and www.prenticeforestry.com.
