Cody DeMoss Wins Super Series Finish Sunday
FORT WORTH, Texas – In his 20th year of ProRodeo competition, saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss can still out-ride cowboys half his age.
DeMoss won the saddle bronc riding three-head average in Bracket 5 at the Super Series Finish in Fort Worth on Sunday.
“I got my card in 2000, and some days I feel like I’m 25 or 26 (years old) and some days I get burned out on it, but this break put some fire back in a lot of us,” DeMoss said. “And, to have a reality check that everything could be taken away at the drop of the hat, you will see that guys who come back rodeoing this year will be having more fun and excited to get on. I don’t imagine anyone will get sour this year since we get to do what we love to do.”
The Super Series Finish at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth gave ProRodeo athletes the chance to complete the bracketed competition that was cut short when the COVID-19 pandemic put competition on hiatus in mid-March. At 39 years old, DeMoss was among the bunch in Bracket 5.
“I have a goal to make the NFR this year, and every dollar counts so I’m glad the PRCA put this deal together,” DeMoss said. “Lesser humans would say, ‘Tough luck,’ but they were worried about all of us who didn’t get to compete at the last set.”
The Louisiana cowboy placed sixth in the first round and returned for a win in Round 2 with 85 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Slappin Leather. Tying for second in Round 3 with 84.5 points gave him the win by a half point over Ryder Wright with 246.5 points on three head.
Before Fort Worth, DeMoss wasn’t ranked within the top 50 of the PRCA | RAM World Standings, but the $4,500 boost he earned should push his name well into that section. DeMoss also won the Okeechobee Florida Cowtown Rodeo on March 15.
DeMoss emphasized the importance of finding a balance between practice and recovery for having a long and successful career. So far, this approach has paid off to the tune of more than $2.4 million thanks in part to qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 13 times (2003-07, 2009-12, 2014-17).
“I do it because I love riding bucking horses, and thank God it pays money because if not, I would be a broke son of a gun,” DeMoss said. “I’m glad God gave me my talent and love in the same spot in America where if a fella puts forth the effort to try to be something, America will reward you for it. If you sit on the couch and play video games, nobody is going to hire you. Out here you have to work your butt off.”
With his 40th birthday about six months away, DeMoss has been competing professionally for longer than some of his competitors have been alive.
“It’s like Chris LeDoux said, ‘It’s not the years, boy, it’s the miles,’” DeMoss said. “We all want to do it, and the older guys are doing it because we love it and love the feel of the ride. It’s more about besting that animal than getting into the chase of getting to something or striving to win gold.
“It’s hard to explain why you would get on a bucking horse or bull when they outweigh you by so much, but there’s no drug that compares to the adrenaline rush of beating one of the most athletic animals in the world.”
Like his cohorts and fans, DeMoss is looking forward to seeing more ProRodeo competitions happen and encouraged everyone to maintain a positive approach.
“I talked to Mr. George Taylor (PRCA CEO) and Mr. Tom Glause (PRCA COO) today and they filled us in. Thank God they came here because the guys running our sport now seem to really care and are into it for the greater good,” DeMoss said. “I’m so thankful I can be proud of our organization again.”
Hearing the latest details from Taylor and Glause left DeMoss feeling confident about the season ahead and the 2020 Wrangler NFR.
“It seems like September will be extraordinarily busy,” DeMoss said. “I hope they have rodeos on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I don’t think any rodeos in the next few months will have any trouble getting contestants. We’re starving to go.”
For more coverage of the Super Series Finish, check out the June 12 edition of ProRodeo Sports News, and to see other winners, check out the complete results at bit.ly/SuperSeriesFinishResults.
Courtesy of PRCA