St. Louis, MO (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Teams from Ameren Illinois‘ locations in Springfield and Peoria will be among those competing in a unique event starting Wednesday in Florence, Kentucky.

According to a news release, Turfway Park in Florence is the side of the “2025 National Gas Rodeo” — a skills and safety competition.  Ameren says teams from across the country competed in four qualifying events to get to “nationals”:  Meter Set, Service Installation, Pipe Cut, and Hand Dig.  Conditions were similar to those in real-world settings.

“The Rodeo gives us a chance to demonstrate our commitment to safety and excellence in natural gas operations,” said Eric Kozak, vice president of natural gas for Ameren Illinois, in a news release. “We’re thrilled to see our teams represent Ameren’s values on a national stage.”

Competing for Ameren Illinois:

Springfield:  Captain Justin Langley, Jason Bardwell, Zach Roberts, Clayton Dees, and Lance Alaria.
Peoria:  Captain Jonathan Dorich, Scott Snedden, Colf Foster, Mike Harenberg, and Sam Hunt.

Teams from four areas of Ameren’s Missouri territories will also compete, with top-performing teams from qualifying events will advance to the final relay competition.

The National Gas Rodeo continues until Friday.