With the speed of a sprinter and the precision of a surgeon, Juan Gallegos won this year’s Napa County’s Pruning Contest.

Last year, Gallegos, 36, who works for Usibelli VIneyards in Rutherford and Pope Valley, finished third in the  eighth annual competition. He’s been pruning grapevines for 17 years in the Napa Valley.

Fifty-nine contestants — up by seven from last year — were judged on technique (70 percent of the overall score) and speed.

The original 59 competitors were whittled down to eight for a showdown, with the top four receiving awards.

During the first round of competition, Gallegos said, he pruned five cabernet sauvignon vines in 2 minutes and 59 seconds. In the finals, his time was 3 minutes and 24 seconds.

 Gallegos said he learned everything he knows about pruning at Usibelli Grape Ranch, where he is also employed as a mechanic.

“It’s hard work, but I like it,” he said through interpreter, Salvador Rios, also an employee at Usibelli, who won the competition three years ago.

Gallegos, who lives in Rutherford, credits co-worker Carlos Renteria as a mentor who recognized something in the young mechanic that would make him shine among the vines.

“He is fast and clean and that is what you need to be,” Renteria said of this year’s winner. “I had confidence in him that he could be a good pruner. He has always been fast.”

Judges in teams of three  scrutinized each pruning cut. It took the 12 judges longer to critique the pruned vines than for the farmworkers to complete their tasks.

Premiere Viticultural Services partner Garrett Buckland, who is on the pruning contest committee, said judges are looking for 10 points to determine the quality of the cuts. “(Judges) are looking at the type of cuts and if they left two full buds,” he said.

“We have some really good pruners competing this year,” Buckland said, while walking between the vines and examining the work.

“Pruning ... is the first operation of the year and sets the pace of the vineyard and crop,” Buckland said. “The goal is to make the vines balanced. It is probably one of the most important operations of the year. This is one of the jobs in the wine business that you have to do pretty well.”

Sonya DeLuca, program director for the Napa Valley Grapegrowers said, “This is the only event that showcases the work of farmworkers where they can compete and be rewarded for the hard work they do every day. They understand the quality of our vineyards.”

Contest committee chairwoman Mary Maher of Harlan Estate said, “This is one of those things where you want to recognize those people who are such an integral part of this county. The work they do all through the season ... and the quality level of their work in the Napa Valley is remarkable.”

The contest was held Thursday morning at the Beringer Gamble Vineyard at the end of State Lane, north of Yountville Crossroad.

The seven other finalists were: Jose Alfredo Segura, Spring Mountain Vineyards; Jose Sandrez, Servin Lopez Vineyard Management; Jesus Vega, Flora Springs; Francisco Alfaro, Piña Vineyard Management; Jorge Aguilar, Renteria Vineyard Management; Nazario Cardenas, Nord Coast Vineyards; and Paulino Velasquez, Hall Wines.