Blog

Monday, Oct. 1

I am thrilled to report that according to my calculations both Heith and I have secured our spots at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It has been a busy and very productive couple weeks, so I want to get everyone caught up on all our excitement.

The week of Sept. 17, Heith and I hit several rodeos. Heith was trying to climb the ladder into the top 15, while I was trying to add to by yearly total. Heith had a great weekend, winning close to 10 grand. He won the rodeos in Texarkana (Ark.) and Albuquerque (N.M.), finished tied for sixth in Amarillo (Texas) and was third in El Paso (Texas).

As for me, I ended up winning El Paso and Mesquite (Texas) and fell off the other two I got on. I went to Mesquite to get another circuit rodeo in before the end of the season. I have to go to Waco (Texas) and Pasadena (Texas) later this month, and then I will have my 15 circuit rodeos to qualify for the circuit finals. I should have they year-end title won before I go to the circuit finals.

Both Heith and I entered the final week of September and the final week of the 2007 rodeo season, with lots of confidence. I was off to Omaha (Neb.) for the third round of the Ariat Playoffs, while Heith was trying to win more money to further solidify his spot in the Top 15. I told Heith before I left to go to Omaha that I was going to play defense, while he hit some of the final rodeos of the season. I don’t have the final results from Fort Collins (Colo.) yet, but I think he was sitting third there, and I did what I needed to in Omaha for him and me. I am really, really excited about us both qualifying for the Finals. Heck, I was probably more nervous this past weekend for him than I was about competing in Omaha. It is going to be unbelievable for my brother and me to be at the finals. My mother will be beside herself. She is not going to be able to sit still. I can’t wait for December in Vegas.

A little recap on Omaha now: When I got to Omaha and saw that I had drawn the horse Bartender (owned by Hank Franzen of Powder River Rodeo), I was pretty pleased. I have wanted to ride that horse since high school. I have seen him a lot and Glen O’Neill won a round on him at the Finals one year. Hank has been giving him some time off, but I was glad to see that name on the daysheet next to my name on opening night.

Unfortunately, the horse didn’t have its best day and just kind of loped off but I thought we would be enough points to not get a re-ride. However, they gave me one and I quickly agreed as the score was not what I had hoped for. For the re-ride horse I had Fox Trot of Bennie’s (Beutler). Fox Trot did really good and right there about seven seconds into the ride, that horse just jumped into the wall and about tore my leg off. Luckily, it didn’t and I finished in a four-way tie for second with a score of 83 points.

In the second round, I had Wild Card from the Ike Sankey string. Same deal with this horse as Bartender, in that I have wanted to get on that horse since I was little bitty. That horse won the world in 1998 and I wasn’t even out of high school then. I graduated in 1999. It was cool in the fact that for the opening that night they featured our match-up. We both ended up having a good day and we split second and third in the round with an 86-point ride and tied for second in the average with 169 points on two head. With two solid rides, I easily qualified for the semifinals on Saturday night.

On Saturday night live, I had Touch of Silver (Powder River Rodeo) in the semifinals, which was a rematch for me. That was the last horse I tried to ride at the 2006 NFR with my back issues in the ninth round. I figured I would go in there and get some revenge on the horse and it worked out. I finished with an 83 putting me in a tie for third with Justin Arnold. It was just enough though to advance to the finals.

In the finals, I was matched with Powder River Rodeo’s Miss Congeniality. That was definitely one of the ones to have. The other one that has been phenomenal this year is Bennie Beutler’s horse Night Moves. I have had Night Moves at the finals before and have won a round on her. However, when I saw that I had Miss Congeniality, I was more than pleased. She was my pick in that pen. I knew she would be consistent and I had her in Omaha before and was 89.5 points setting the arena record that year. The record was broken in 2005 when Billy (Etbauer) road Beutler and Son Rodeo’s Drop Out for 90.5 points. However, I have now regained the record after posting a 91 on Miss Congeniality to win the final round and the saddle bronc riding title at the third stop of the Ariat Playoffs.

I truly feel with this win, that I am back on top of my game. Winning Calgary (earlier this year) really helped me with my confidence, but there was still something missing in my riding. I think now I have got it all back in line and just in time for Dallas and Las Vegas.

My wife, Margie, was with me when I won Calgary and she and Darbi were in Omaha as well, so I think I will keep them with me at all the big rodeos as they seem to be my good luck charm. On Friday, we took Darbi to the zoo and Omaha has a really neat zoo. It was so big that I am not sure that we ended up seeing everything. We all had a good time.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I plan to work around the house. We are going to start the foundation for our new house so that is exciting. There is going to be lots of building going on. I plan to hit the rodeos in Leesville (La.), Waco (Texas) and Pasadena (Texas). Other than that there is going to be lots of hunting and fishing in October and then I will be in Dallas for the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship, Nov. 9-11.

Thanks for reading,
Cody


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