story by Lily Weinacht
Cody Pringle from Hogansville, Georgia, is leading the saddle bronc riding in the SPRA, returning to rodeo’s classic event after a six year hiatus. Rodeo is a true family affair for Cody and his wife, Lauren, a barrel racer, and their three-year-old son, Canyon, who competes in mutton busting and goat tail untying. “I college rodeoed for two years in Clarendon, Texas, before I came home and started my family and my business,” says Cody, 27. “All my buddies made the SPRA finals last year, and they were pushing me to compete again – and I was tired of being the designated groom,” he jokes. “I got the fever again and bought a bronc saddle, and it’s been going really well!”
The first of his family to rodeo, Cody learned to rope with his neighbors and rode sheep and steers in junior rodeos before finding his stride in high school rodeo. “Timed events weren’t an option for my family – we couldn’t afford horses and trucks and trailers – but my mom told me if I chose roughstock, she’d buy my equipment,” he explains. Cody started with bulls and added in bareback and saddle bronc riding soon after, competing in all three events his first two years of high school. He competed in the NHSFR all four years in bareback and saddle bronc, as well as making it to the short-go of the IFYR in saddle bronc the three years he competed there. “My mom, Melanie Burnette, was my number one fan growing up – she hauled me and three other boys to the NHSFR every year and came to my college rodeos, and she still comes to watch me ride.
“I crave rodeo, and I want everyone to do good, but I want to do a little bit better,” he adds with a laugh. “I also think it’s a great place to minister to the kids coming up in rodeo who look up to you. You want to help them do well, but it also lifts you up to be an inspiration to them.” Cody also serves as the saddle bronc riding director of the SPRA, a role which, among other responsibilities, involves helping with the bucking horses and awards for the saddle bronc riding at the SPFR. “It’s been a great association to me, and I always recommend it to the high school kids coming up. All the judges are great guys to talk with and learn from.”
When he’s not driving to the next SPRA or IPRA rodeo, Cody travels frequently for work, picking up merchandise for the two retail stores he owns, Deals 4 Dollars. “We sell closeouts or overstock inventory, kind of like Big Lots!,” he explains. “I started the business two years ago, and we have two stores here in Georgia.” Cody embarked on another business venture this year with Blake Arp, his best friend, neighbor, and a fellow SPRA and IPRA competitor in the bareback riding. They purchased 18 bucking horses this year, which they lease to stock contractors for SPRA, IPRA, and high school rodeos. “We bred every mare we have, so next year we’ll have a crop on the ground.”
The Pringle family spends much of their down time roping at the house, fishing, four wheeling, and mudding, while Canyon enjoys riding Cody’s head horse. “Every time I go to a rodeo and put my bronc saddle down, Canyon sits in it, so hopefully we’ll make a roughstock rider out of him,” says Cody. “I won the high school rodeo association three times in the saddle bronc, but after that, I never just focused on one or two associations. My goals now are to make the IFR, and win the year-end saddle for the SPRA.”
