Local News
Whitney scores first paycheck
LAS VEGAS – There was nothing especially pretty about Cody Whitney’s ride atop the Frontier Rodeo bull Silencer on Friday night.
But it worked pretty well for the Asher, Okla., cowboy, who hit the pay window for the first time at this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
He and Silencer danced for 82.5 points, good enough for third place in the second go-round and a $10,228.
“I’m not going to say that was pretty, but anytime you can get a check here, it’s a good thing,” said Whitney, playing on ProRodeo’s biggest stage for the first time in his 10-year career after years of qualifying for the Professional Bull Riders World Finals several times.
“I’m always going to be loose about the way I do things, but this does take a little pressure off.”
Whitney finished behind 2006 world champion B.J. Schumacher, who won the go-round with an 88-point ride, and Clayton Savage. But the big thing is that it moved Whitney’s season earnings to $89,213.
“The thing about the finals is that there’s a lot of money available, and I need to take advantage of that,” Whitney said. “I have a chance to ride for $17,000 a night, so I’m going to do all I can to get as much money as I can over the course of this rodeo.”
Whitney entered the championship competition ninth in the world standings, having won rodeos in Abilene, Kan., and Pueblo, Colo. At 28 years old, he focused much of his career at the stand-alone bull-riding organizations before turning his attention to rodeoing full time.
In the interim, he’s driven hundreds of thousands of miles in an effort to make a living for his family, his wife, Kori, and daughter, Lila.
“I love to ride bucking bulls,” Whitney said. “There’s something about this sport that you crave. It’s the people. It’s the intensity. It’s the action. But this is something I love to do.
“This is the National Finals Rodeo, and I’m going after championships here,” he said. “The good news is that it comes down to money, so it’s a win-win situation for me.”
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