The ‘Toughest Challenge on Earth’ was no match for Scotland’s finest operators, as they took first and third place in Finning’s UK final of the Caterpillar European Operator Challenge, held at Caterpillar’s new visitor centre, at its Desford factory in Leicester.
Having qualified for the final by taking part in Operator Challenge qualifier events across the country, at shows and specialist venues, including Scotplant and SED, the 18 best operators in the UK were pitted together for a chance to win a place in the European Operator Challenge final in Malaga.
Edinburgh based Don Doherty won the event, completing the challenges in a total of 10 minutes 21 seconds, closely followed by second placed Gary Lambert, qualifying in 11 minutes exactly, with third place going to fellow Scot, Jimmy Anderson qualifying in 11 minutes thirty six seconds.
Tasked with completing four of the toughest challenges against the clock and the eagle eyes of Finning judges, the skills of the operators were tested in a range of equipment including a Cat 725 ADT, a Cat 908H Compact Wheel Loader, a Cat 302.5C Mini Hydraulic Excavator and a Cat 305C Mini Hydraulic Excavators.
The top operators by challenge category were:
- 302.5C Mini Hydraulic Excavator – Mike Gibbons
- 725 ADT – Nigel Pritchard
- 908H – Lee Graham
- 305C CR – Gary Lambert
Whether it was balancing large tennis balls on top of cones, whilst manoeuvring a pallet around a custom circuit, or placing kerb stones in a neat row, each challenge tested the skill and accuracy of the operator under pressure. With a number of judges on hand to dish out time penalties for machine abuse or the movement of obstacles, the very best operators combined speed with smooth operation to complete the tasks penalty free.
Commenting on his victory, Operator Challenge veteran, Don Doherty of fencing specialists Doherty and Lafferty said: “I have taken part in the event a few times now and been to Malaga before, so was very determined to book my place at this year’s final in November."
“I was determined to win all of the events but was pushed into second place for three of them, but that was good enough to win overall. Now I am just looking to improve on past performances at Malaga to see if I can bring home the European Operator Challen ge title for Scotland.”
Taking place over a whole week, running from Sunday 2nd to Friday 7th of November at Caterpillar’s Malaga Demonstration and Learning Centre, the European Operator Challenge final will have no fewer than nine tests, incorporating the whole range of Caterpillar equipment from Off Highway Trucks to Skid Steer Loaders, with the overall winner crowned at the Gala dinner on Friday 7th November.
Commenting on the standard of entries and success of the UK event, Finning marketing manager Michele Rastall, said: “We made the decision to bring back the UK version of Operator Challenge this year and it was certainly worthwhile. All of our events across the country were packed, with hundreds of competitors taking part to try and qualify for the final and ultimately stand a chance of going to Malaga."
“Having been involved in the event in the past, it was clear this year that the operators were paying much more attention to the accuracy eleme nt of the challenges, as they have all recognised that this is where they win and loose the challenge. By bringing in stricter penalties for machine abuse, the smooth operation of equipment was improved dramatically."
“Don and the other winners really stood out because they embraced what the competition is all about, promoting the safe, accurate and swift operation of plant equipment in practical applications. That is why it is the toughest competition on earth.”
In total there were four tasks detailed below
- 302.5C Mini Hydraulic Excavator. Operators had to load a bucket attached to a TH220B telehandler in the fastest time possible without spillage, touching the telehandler bucket, touching the sides of the trench or moving the machine itself. Once the telehandler bucket was full and the excavator back to its starting position, the clock was stopped.
- 725 Articulated Dump Truck (ADT). Operators we asked to negotiate the ADT around a custom-built course including cones, a wheel loader, an excavator and to dump a load before returning to the start/finish line.
- 908H Compact Wheel Loader. This task involved manoeuvring the wheel loader around a tight track with a pallet on the machine forks. On the pallet were a couple of cones with a ball on top of each one.
- 305C CR Mini Hydraulic Excavator. The 305C CR was fitted with a hydraulic kerb grab. Operators were challenged with using the grab to pick up the kerb stones and to place them into a neat line. For every 1cm the stones were out of line, operators would pick up a 10 second penalty.