Oklahoma City cowboy Cody Doescher will return to the CINCH Timed Event Championship during its 2016 run from March 4-6 at the Lazy E Arena.
Doescher will replace five-time champion K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyo., who suffered an injured shoulder recently and will be out of competition for the next eight to 12 weeks.
“You don’t want to wish anything bad on anybody,” Doescher said. “K.C.’s been a contender there every year and has won it multiple times. It’s definitely going to be different being there without him. Fortunately for me, it allows me the chance to compete there, but I sure didn’t want to get in that way.”
In 2014-15, Doescher was part of the prestigious 20-man field that features the best all-around timed-event cowboys in rodeo competing in all five disciplines: heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping.
It’s dubbed the “Ironman of ProRodeo” because of the grueling test each of the cowboys faces through the five-round competition that takes place over three days.
“It means the world to be able to go again, because it’s such a prestigious event,” said Doescher, who finished 11th in the 2015 average race. “It’s such a cowboy competition and not just a rodeo. Guys will get out of their comfort zone and have to do things they don’t do every day.
“It brings out the weaknesses everybody has and the mind games, and you have to overcome it in one event. That’s what makes it such a great event.”