Published: April 23, 2007 10:37 am            

Asher cowboy hopes to strike gold as PBR tour comes to Ada

ADA — Cody Whitney, Asher, along with 45 of the top bull riders in the world, will compete in the Southern Oklahoma PBR Enerprise Challenge Tour. The tour hits the Pontotoc County Agri-plex May 4-5. The event is brought to Ada by Out West Productions, LLC.

In his seven years of riding pro, Whitney has racked up $521,425.96 in career earnings. Standing 5 foot, 8 inches, the 25 year-old wears the number 20 on his back. Whitney has also been honored with the 2005 Lane Frost/Brent Thurman Award. To win the honors, he completed a 94.75 point ride aboard Little Yellow Jacket.

Whitney says everyone in his family competed in rodeo, so he followed in their footsteps and stepped on his first steer at the young age of 8. Growing up, Whitney looked up to his big brother, B. Joe, who has also competed on the PBR circuit.

“My brother gave me some pointers, but nobody really taught me how to ride,” Whitney said. “I still just watch videos of myself to get better. I also like to watch Glen Keeley. I liked the way he rode. He was aggressive and spurred everything he got on.”

Whitny said one of his greatest accomplishments was winning the Built Ford Tough Series event in Cincinnati, Ohio, in January 2005. He rode Mossy Oak Mudslinger, of D&H and Teague Bucking Bulls, for 93 points in the short-go to claim the event title and more than $40,000 in prize money.

“I had won the Mossy Oak bonus on the first night and had good momentum going into the short-go,” he said. This helped the tough young bull rider find his way into the history books with the highest marked ride of the 2005 Built Ford Tough Finals.

“It was a great feeling to be the last guy to ride Little Yellow Jacket and to have the highest marked ride of 2005 made it even better,” he said.

For more information about the Southern Oklahoma PBR Enerprise Classic contact Brenda Revels by phone at (580) 235-0193 or by e-mail at brevels@cableone.net. Tickets are $20 general admission, $30 arena floor general admission, and reserved seating $50. Tickets are available at Steppin’ Out Western Wear, 430 E. Main, Ada; Sharpe’s Department Store, 131 W. Main; Stillwater Milling, Davis; Bean’s Western Wear, Ardmore; and Rene & Roy’s Western Wear, McAlester.

Steppin’ Out Western Wear in Ada is the only store selling reserved seating. Phone (580) 332-5100 for reserved seating.

Action begins at 8 p.m. each day.

        

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