Cody Ballard Sweeps Saddle Bronc Titles at RAM Prairie Circuit Finals
The journey to the top of the RAM Prairie Circuit wasn’t an easy one for 26-year-old saddle bronc rider Cody Ballard.
As a senior in college Ballard was attending Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Okla. After graduation he went back to his hometown of Tumut, New South Wales in Australia. That’s when the young cowboy faced adversity head on.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced Ballard to stay in Australia for 14 months, which meant his ProRodeo career would be put on hold. But his return to the sport left him with plenty to cheer about.
Ballard not only earned enough money this season to qualify for the RAM Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in Duncan, Okla., but he won the whole thing on Oct. 16. He wrapped up the average title with 236 points on three head, his 77-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Big News in the final round also secured him the year-end title.
“This was my goal, I got locked up with COVID last year back home,” said Ballard. “I had no qualifications or anything coming into this year. So, it was my goal just to make the circuit finals and try to win the year-end deal and make the National Circuit Finals Rodeo. I was able to go out and achieve that, so I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.”
He said finding consistency in his riding was the key to ultimately finding success on this stage.
“100 percent of this sport is about consistency,” he said. “You have to go out there and do your job every single time. You want to put good spur rides on them each time, it doesn’t always happen, but that’s my goal every time I nod my head.”
Now, for the first time in his ProRodeo career Ballard will have the opportunity to rodeo full time and chase the dream he’s had since he was a kid.
“I’m looking forward to going down the road like all of the other guys do,” Ballard said. “I’ve never been on the road before in my career. I look forward to doing that this year and seeing where I can end up at in this sport, I want to see if I can match up with the big dogs.”
Other winners at the $186,794 rodeo were all-around cowboy Paul David Tierney ($6,060 in tie-down roping and team roping); steer wrestler Cody Devers (14.5 seconds on three head); team ropers Miles Baker/Zack Woods (17.0 seconds on three head); bareback rider Blaine Kaufman (250.5 points on three head); tie-down roper Eli Barger (32.4 seconds on three head); barrel racer Emma Charleston (46.94 seconds on three runs); steer roper Cole Patterson (33.9 seconds on three head); and bull rider Fulton Rutland (243.0 points on three head).
Courtesy of PRCA