The president of an excavation and welding company in Maine will represent the United States in the finals of Caterpillar’s Global Operators Challenge.
Brian Hayden, president of Hayden Excavating and Welding Inc. of Wells, earned the lowest point total of 1,313, which is a combination of time and penalties, at the semifinals September 23 in Clayton, North Carolina. He represented dealer Milton Cat for North America’s Eastern Region. (To watch highlights of his performance, check out the video at the end of this article.)
Hayden was modest in his victory and hoped it would help raise the profile of the operator profession.
“What makes me proud is just, you know, nothing to do with me,” Hayden said. “It’s bringing recognition to the operators that devote their time and lives to what they do and then showcasing them with their skills.”
He now advances to the finals to be held at ConExpo 2026 in Las Vegas, where he will compete with eight other contestants for the title of world’s best equipment operator.
Brock Leclerc with Quattro Constructors of British Columbia, Canada, will also be among those finalists in Vegas. He ended the semifinals in Clayton with 1,540 points. He represented dealer Finning Canada for North America’s Western Region.
Regional competitions are set for this month in Europe, South America and Asia Pacific to choose the other finalists. The finals winner receives either a $10,000 cash prize or an equal value trip for two to a Caterpillar location of his choice.
In all, 32 operators, divided into east and west regions, competed in the North American event, completing four challenges with Cat compact track loaders, excavators, dozers and wheel loaders. They had advanced to the event following local challenges held around the continent at Caterpillar dealerships.
The four challenges are as follows:
Over-the-Top Challenge – operate a compact track loader through a multi-phase course that includes navigating rugged terrain and obstacles with a bar carriage, high-speed loading, and lifting and placing objects on a staged platform.
City Streets – operate an excavator in a series of precision tasks, including placing a manhole lid into a cast frame, inserting a 30-inch pipe into a vertical culvert and filling an articulated dump truck with 15 to 20 tons of material.
Load ‘N Loader Challenge – operate a wheel loader to load and haul material along a marked path before dumping it into an articulated dump truck and then swapping the bucket for forks to transport a pipe across a designated route and place it accurately on a flatbed trailer.
Centennial Push Challenge – operate a dozer through a series of precision maneuvers, including dozing a tire down a narrow path into a goal zone, sliding a pipe along a rope using only the dozer’s blade, a grading segment, a bell-ringing task that tested blade accuracy, and a ripper placement.
Other Operator Awards
The following awards were also presented at the North American semifinals:
(The list provides their names, companies they work for and the Cat dealer they represented.)
Eastern Region
- Second place – Alex Blanchet, Maxi Paysage, representing Toromont
- Third place – Robert Donnellan, C.A.C. Industries, representing H.O. Penn
- Over-the-Top Challenge winner – Brian Hayden, Hayden Excavating and Welding Inc., representing Milton
- City Streets Challenge winner – Frank Gross, Ripa & Associates, representing Ring Power
- Load ‘N Loader Challenge winner – Robert Donnellan, C.A.C. Industries, representing H.O. Penn
- Centennial Push Challenge winner – Josh Blanton, Roadbuilders Inc., representing Gregory Poole
Western Region
- Second place – Cwentin Clifton, Elite Construction + Development, representing Western States
- Third place – Keith Steed, Native Sun Construction, representing Wagner
- Over-the-Top Challenge winner – Justin Barclay, B&W Services, representing Tractor & Equipment
- City Streets Challenge winner – Jeremey Bordelon, Durr Heavy Construction, representing Louisiana Cat
- Load ‘N Loader Challenge winner – Troy Lea, Lea’s Demolition, representing Holt of California
- Centennial Push Challenge winner – Jeremy Bordelon, Durr Heavy Construction, representing Louisiana Cat
Check out the video below of Hayden competing in the semifinals:
