Global operator challenge winner crowded at the Cat Conexpo Arena

A purpose made arena welcomed the nine finalists of the Cat Global Operator Challenge at Conexpo on Tuesday, 14th March, to witness the drama of the most challenging Cat Global Operator Challenge to date.

With over 5,500 competitors from 77 Cat dealers in 32 countries across the globe taking part from Spring of 2022, the finalist had certainly come a long way through local and regional heats to the final.

And as you walked around Las Vegas, their faces were everywhere. Talking to the European finalists Pontus Eriksson of Sweden, Sebastian Behr of Germany and Lukasz Mokrzyniski of Poland on the Sunday before the event, they really felt the celebrity style status, having been interviewed on TV and radio in their home countries.

And their own superfans were at the event to cheer them on in what was an electric arena. The challenges themselves proved to be extremely tough, with the leaderboard constantly changing throughout the day.

To kick off, the event operators had to compete in the "Fork 'n Loader" Challenge. Here each operator used the Cat 950 wheel loader with Payload technology to load and move material through specified locations on the course. With penalties for touching cones and not having the correct payload, this was a real test of speed and control.

The second Challenge involved the Cat 420 XE backhoe loader. For the European final in Malaga, the previous backhoe challenge proved to be the defining moment for the finalist and the newly designed "Backhoe Services" final Challenge was tougher still.

Here operators had to use both ends of the Cat 420 XE backhoe to open a small box and precisely place small objects inside. Again penalties were added for errors like dropping the objects outside the box. This Challenge was also a chance for the previous 2020 winner Jaus Neigum to add his touch to the event as he designed the Challenge himself.

Catching up with Jaus at the event, he said: "After winning the competition in 2020, I couldn't believe how many people got in touch to congratulate me on winning. So it was great to play a part in this event and really test the operators' skills. I certainly didn't make it easy for them."

For the third and final "Trench Run" challenge, operators showed off their trenching skills using a Cat 315 excavator equipped with Cat Grade technology. Here points were awarded for speed, and penalties were deducted for not meeting the fine grade required for the trench, which was programmed into the in-cab tablet. 

With all of the points and penalties added together, it was Irish born Patrick Doheny from Australia who was crowned the champion. In addition to the trophy, Patrick won a trip for two to a location of his choice where Caterpillar has one of its worldwide production facilities.

Talking to us about his win and the opportunities for operators, Patrick said: "It's an amazing experience, and to win is just brilliant. I think it helped that I have been operating machines for over 25 years now. And in our business back in Australia, we focus on bulk earthworks, so use a lot of different machines and technologies. For me, the competition is a great way of highlighting the complex work we do as operators, and I hope it will inspire others to join the sector.

"All you need to succeed is a good attitude and some initiative, and you can open the door to lots of opportunities, and in my case, a trip to enjoy Las Vegas before I go back to Melbourne to continue working.

 With Matt Ferris from the United States coming second and Łukasz Mokrzyński of Poland securing third place for Europe, there was a real mix from different continents. With Caterpillar yet to announce whether the competition will return for another Conexpo Las Vegas final in 2026, I would suggest keeping an eye out for future announcements.