Eric Zumbrin of KTH Parts Industries in St. Paris, Ohio was crowned Overall Rodeo Champion at the 2009 US Open Forklift Rodeo in Springfield last weekend. Zumbrin's teammates also walked away winners, snaring the Clyde Parsons Team Spirit Award.

The KTH driver also won the Msaters Division, beating teammate Larry Lawrence, who came second, while Stacy Lane of DWS, Inc (Columbus, Ohio) took third spot.

The Championship Division was won by Kyle Burton of the NEX Transport ''B'' team from East Liberty, Ohio, while local Rich Reynolds from M&M took second place, followed by Joaquin Canico from Sumal+Compal in Lisbon, Portugal.

KTH Parts Industries Team "A" from St. Paris, comprising Zumbrin and Lawrence, took the team title. NEX Transport Team "B", with Burton and David Brown was second, and the visitors from Portugal, Canico and compatriot Alexandre Teixeira took third place.

Organiser Richard E. "Big Bug" Higgins describes the event as a huge success, but he had to rely on hearsay, as ill-health kept him away from the event he conceived and planned.

"Weather became a problem on Saturday with wind and rain," he explains. "Some of the outdoor events were squeezed inside, creating a lot more action."

For Higgins, one of the event highlights was the "the enthusiasm of those rodeo competitors who came from far and wide".

The next targets, he says, are Canada and Mexico.

"We are very pleased that the Lisbon, Portugal team went away having had a great time competing in the rodeo and seeing the area sights," he notes.

Forkliftaction.com was among the event's sponsors, and North America sales representative Rodger "Brumby" Lamb says the event is shaping up to be a true international contest.

"We are happy to be associated with an event that grows from year to year and are determined to see it develop even further," he says.