ADA, Okla. – Long before he ever qualified to the International Finals Rodeo, the National Finals Rodeo or the PBR World Finals, Cord McCoy was a kid who just dreamed of being a rodeo champion.
He came by it naturally, raised on a ranch near Tupelo, Oklahoma. He’s the youngest of five children born to a rodeo family, and the seven of them oftentimes made the short drive to Ada for a variety of reasons.
Now living in Lane, Oklahoma, and raising bucking animals as a PRCA stock contractor, McCoy Rodeo will return to his old stomping grounds for the Ada ProRodeo presented by Ada Gaming and Ada Travel Stop, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2, at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex in Ada. Tickets are on sale for $20 at the gate; children 3 and younger get in free.
“This is exciting for me, because Ada has always been like a second home for us,” McCoy said. “To be able to produce a ProRodeo in Ada is an important step for me and my family and is a big part of our 2022 McCoy Rodeo Tour.”
McCoy was a five-time champion cowboy in the Oklahoma City-based International Professional Rodeo Association, then qualified as a bull rider for the NFR in 2005. After that, he adjusted to life in the PBR, qualifying for the finale six times. He and his brother, Jet, brought worldwide attention to eastern Oklahoma – and the Western way of life – a decade ago because of their three appearances on the CBS-TV reality series “The Amazing Race.”
He’s raised bulls and horses for years and has been a regular bull provider to many PBR events across the country. A year ago, he began his first season of producing PRCA rodeos and has continued to invest in his program.
“We’re planning on bringing five bulls we got from Sammy Andrews, who has raised a ton of great bulls over the years,” McCoy said of the Texas-based stock contractor, who is best known for owning the notorious bull Bodacious. “Three of those bulls went to the NFR last year, and then we plan to have the bull Cliff Hanger, which has been one of the best bulls at the NFR the last couple of years.”
In fact, Cliff Hanger was selected as one of the top two bulls at the 2020 NFR and voted as one of the top three bulls of the 2021 PRCA season by the cowboys that ride bulls for a living.
McCoy Rodeo also wants to make the competition second to none for the cowboys and cowgirls that will make their way to Ada the first weekend in April.
“As someone who competed for most of my life, I know how important it is for everyone to have a chance to win in rodeo,” he said. “We will try to have as even of pens of livestock as we can to make the competition that much better.”
Having an entertaining show and a tough contest makes for a great rodeo, and McCoy knows that as well as anyone.
“We’ve had some great partners that have stepped up already in our first year to help bring the ProRodeo to town, and we’re grateful for that,” McCoy said. “Sponsors have helped make this event strong from the start, and we’re excited to see it grow from here.”