Petits rule at Woodchoppers Jamboree

Skyler Petit, a 23-year-old from Denver, earned the title of Rocky Mountain All-Around Lumberjack at this past weekend's Woodchoppers Jamboree.

This is Petit's first year to win the overall championship at the Encampment competition. He has been competing since he was 10 years old, and travels Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico competing in different events.

Petit's parents have been competing for 21 years and have been coming to the event since he was 2 years old.

"I started competing as soon as I could pick up an axe," Petit said.

Petit participates in almost every event, which gives him the edge in points. His closest competitor was C.J. Remick, who had 30 points to Petit's 59.

Coming in third place was Ron Harvey, who had 22 points.

Despite the cold, rain and wind, 53 competitors from 12 states vied for the top money prize in the men's and women's division.

Petit's mom, Barb, walked away as the women's division winner with 18.5 points. Leslie Land, of Arizona, came in second place with 17.5 points, and Centennial competitor Megan Crow earned third with 17 points. Land had taken first place in 2013.

Land said this is her second year at Woodchoppers. She had heard about it from friends who competed in past years.

Larry Jones, who has been coming to Woodchoppers for 52 years, easily won the chainsaw Small Class Modified Chainsaw competition Sunday with a time of 7.91 seconds.

The loggers are required to make three cuts in the log for their time to qualify. The times varied from Jones' 7.91 seconds to more than 21 seconds.

Loggers also competed using handsaws; making for a longer time, but with a lot more sweat equity involved.

The shortest time for the man-woman handsaw team went to Barb Petit and Skyler Petit, who sawed through a log in 7.46 seconds.

The secret to success in the handsaw competition is rhythm, team work and pulling the saw, rather than pushing it through the log.

Push too hard, and the saw bends and makes it harder to cut through the log.

Megan and Chris Crow use Woodchoppers Jamboree as a celebration. Twelve years ago, they competed on Saturday, got married on Saturday night in Centennial and returned on Sunday to compete.

Lila Walbye, who is 84, wasn't going to compete this year, but she changed her mind. On Saturday and Sunday, Walbye entered in the axe throw. Although she did not score any points, she received plenty of cheers from the audience.

Competitors walked away with more than $7,000 in prize money

A total of 53 participants from 12 states competed in this year's events. The point-scoring contestants are listed below:

Male contestants

by total points:

Skyler Petit: 59 points

CJ Remick: 30 points

Ron Harvey: 22 points

Curt Blake: 20 points

Vince Marsh Jr. 18 points

Chris Crow: 16 points,

Larry Jones: 14 points

Steve Petit: 11 points

Brent Conklin: 10.5 points

Cale Smiley: 10 points

Kenneth Witt: 9 points

Vince March Sr: 9 points

Matt Irvine: 8 points

Ben Work: 5 points

Christopher Land: 4 points

Eric Russell: 3.5 points

Jon Nelson: 3 points

Cade Merrill: 3 points

Ben Litsey: 2 points,

Karl Thacker: 2 points,

Americo Pedroni: 2 points

Eric Distad: 1 point

Eric Witt: 1 point

Female contestants

by total points:

Barb Petit: 18.5 points

Leslie Land: 17.5 points

Megan Crow: 17 points

Valerie Martinez: 15.5 points

Lane Roth: 14.5 points

Shanna Lopez: 9.5 points

Alexis Logan: 9.5 points

Cassie Hubbs: 7.5 points

Maura Jacbosen: 4 points

Cara Stilley: 1 point

Kim Loftice: 1 point

Rodeo

Nearly $9,000 was awarded at the Woodchoppers Rodeo this past weekend along with a few bragging rights.

Local team roping winners were Bub Barkhurst and Ridge Knotwell, who earned first place; Jay Ward and Jake Keller got second and Konnar Knotwell and Tate Terrill earned third place in the inaugural event.

Cody Tesch earned first place with Spencer Lee getting second place in the bull riding.

No one scored in the bronc riding competition.

Chelsie Willhoite, Abbea Farris and Cally Cummings all tied for first in the breakaway contest with a time of 3.7 seconds.

Coming in fourth was Tamara Tunink with a time of 4.2 seconds and Konnar Knotwell earned fifth place with a time of 5.9 seconds.

In the mixed team roping competition, Sabrina and Kyon Kreutzer and Chelsie Willhoit and Wade Kreutzer tied for first with a time of 7.6 seconds.

Right on their heels were Connie Harris and Calvin Brevik with a time of 7.9 seconds, and taking third place.

Lydia Coe and Clayton Van Aken scored 8.1 seconds for third place.

In the team roping event Calvin Brevik and Wade Masters earned first with a time of 6.7 seconds; Paul Beckett and Clayton Van Aken took second with a time of 6.9 seconds.

Shawn Hagler and Mitch Walz earned third with a time of 20.8 seconds and Justin Price and Kyon Kreutzer took second with 22.2 seconds.

In the Judy Saulcy Memorial Barrel Race Dani Buhler placed first with 18.19 seconds, Margie Ward took second with 18.45 seconds; Carla Beckett earned third place with a time of 18.47 seconds, Teresa Jessop was fourth with a time of 18.61 seances and Maddie Kristner took fifth place with a time of 18.73 seconds.