Published: August 24, 2006 02:51 pm            

Cody Whitney competes in PBR Ada event

ADA — Cody Whitney will compete in the Southern Oklahoma PBR Enterprise Challenge Tour when it hits the Pontotoc County Agri-plex Sept. 1-2. The Asher resident will compete against 45 of the top bull riders in the world and, according to event sponsors, will ride some of the toughest bull on the planet when he seeks to increase his career earnings.

Now 25 years old, Whitney stands 5 foot 8 inches and has total career earnings of $497,170.21. In the ring, he wears the number 5 on his back. Whitney has been riding pro for six years and was honored with the 2005 Lane Frost/Brent Thurman Award. To win the honors, he completed a 94,74 point ride aboard Little Yellow Jacket.

Whitney says everyone in his family competed in rodeo, so at age 8 he followed in their footsteps and mounted his first steer.

“My brother gave me some pointers, but nobody really taught me how to ride,” he said. “I still watch videos of myself to get better.”

Growing up, Whitney looked up to big brother B. Joe, who has competed on the PBR circuit. “I also always like to watch Glen Keeley. I liked the way he rode. He was aggressive and spurred everything he got on.”

Whitney said one of his greatest accomplishments was winning the Built Ford Tough Series event in Cincinnati in January of 2005. “I had won the Mossy Oak bonus on the first night and had good momentum going into the short-go,” he recalled. He rode Mossy Oak Mudslinger 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.

The though the young bull rider’s name was etched in the history books with the highest mark ride of the 2005 built Ford tough Finals with a 94.74 ride on three-time PBR Bull of the Year, Little Yellow Jacket of Berger/Taupin and Teague Bucking bulls. The ride secured second round honors of the finals and earned him the Lane Frost/Brent Thurman Award.

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

        

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