BULL RIDING For a cowboy named Rodeo, becoming a bull rider was a childhood dream
Move over Ryan Dirteater. There is another Oklahoma bull rider with a unique name.
Cody Rodeo Tyler of Guthrie is a rookie on the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series and, yes, his middle name really is Rodeo.
“My dad used to ride bulls back in the day. He really lives rodeo. He loves it,” the 22-yearold Tyler said. “He loves rodeo so much he wanted to incorporate that in all the names of his kids, too. I got a little brother named Brody Bronc. He was trying to name my sister Bonnie Barrel Racer.”
Tyler, who is a traveling partner of Dirteater’s to PBR events, is in contention for the PBR’s “Rookie of the Year” title along with fellow Oklahoma bull rider, Brennon Eldred of Sulphur.
Those three bull riders will be representing their home state when the PBR makes a tour stop in Thackerville Saturday and Sunday at WinStar Casino for the seventh straight year.
“Everybody just tells me it’s really hot and really humid every year,” Tyler said of the Thackerville PBR event, where a temporary outdoor arena is constructed for the bull riding each year.
Tyler grew up in Perry but spent his last year of high school at MulhallOrlando as a junior. He finished high school by home schooling so he could have more time to travel to rodeos.
He obtained his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association card on his 18th birthday and turned pro, spending a year on the PRCA circuit before joining the PBR.
“I dreamed about being in the PBR my entire life so I figured I would start chasing my dreams young,” Tyler said.
He spent three years trying to qualify for the PBR’s top level, the Built Ford Tough Series, and was sidelined for nine months after tearing his rotator cuff and breaking a bone in his shoulder in 2015.
He made his first appearance on the Built
Ford Tough Series in February. His best finish this season has been fourthplace in St. Louis.
His parents call him Rodeo instead of Cody, and so do a few of the other bull riders. If he starts winning big on the PBR Tour, likely everyone will be calling him Rodeo.
He’s got the name
suited for a rodeo star. Now, he’s just got to back it up.
“I got blessed with a good name, that’s for sure,” Tyler said. “I love the name. It’s a good thing I’m actually riding bulls though. It may have been a little weird if I was riding skateboards or something.”