November 8-23, 2013, Oklahoma City

Junior Tie-Down Roping

A win was a great start for Cody Marx and Two Id Young Gun in junior tie-down roping.

by Allison Grayson
The American Quarter Horse Journal

After a lifetime of competing in rodeos, AQHA Professional Horseman Cody Marx has won his first world champion title at the 2012 AQHA World Championship Show. He and Two ID Young Gun were the pick in junior tie-down roping.

The title is special to Cody for several reasons.

“Hopefully we can get more customers,” he said with a laugh in his Journal Winning Run interview.

“But, you know, it’s a big, big step,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to come down from Wisconsin and compete with these guys. But I had a great horse (that) a great friend hooked me up with and it worked out pretty good. I was just making sure I did my job, the horse could take care of the rest.”

And “Rambo” did take care of the rest.

“He’s a (CD Young Gun) horse that Jeff Franks let me ride,” Cody said of the 2007 sorrel gelding. “I started riding him this summer for him and he’s a really good horse, really strong on a calf. He just kind of fit me, you know.

“I’m a little quicker off the horse, he’s a little quicker on the ground, so it just worked,” he said. “He’s just a nice horse to be around and he’s just kind of part of the family now, I guess. And he’s got a good temperament and everything.”

Even though this is Cody’s first world championship title, he is no stranger to the roping arena.

“My dad was a horse trainer and a horse shoer when I was younger,” he said. “And, you know, going through high school rodeo and stuff, we trained our own calf horses and rodeo horses. And I just liked it a lot and I wanted to get off the rodeo trail a little bit, so I went to showing horses.

“My wife showed horses and she talked me into it,” he said. “She helps a lot, too, so it’s a family affair.”

After his start in show horses, Cody met Jeff, and the rest is history.

“I rode a couple horses for (Jeff Frank) last year and he sent this one to me, I guess, on a full-time deal here,” Cody said of Rambo. “That’s how I got a hold of him.”

Jeff was at the World Show to watch the pair compete. After the win, there was a ton of excitement throughout the group.

“Jeff Frank was here and he’s a big ol’ guy,” he said with a laugh. “He’s about 6’5” and I’m only about 5’4” or 5’5” and he gave me a big ol’ hug and it was a little intimidating, right there.”

Prior to the win, though, Cody had to deal with some less-than-ideal Wisconsin weather.

“We had a bunch of rain,” he said. “About two weeks ago, we were just jogging horses through the mud, so I had to come down two weeks early to get this horse ready to go. I’ve been here two weeks because, you know, I had no other choice really.

“It was so wet up there, but it was a good trip,” he said. “It worked out pretty good.”

Cody had several people to thank for helping him to the win.

“I’d like to thank my wife, Amy, and Jeff Frank, of course,” he said. “And Steve Williams, Mark Ray, (AQHA Professional Horseman) Roger Branch and (AQHA Professional Horseman) Jeff Carney. They’ve all kind of helped me along. (They) helped me on certain things on horses over the years that I’ve been showing horses, so they deserve a lot of credit, too.”

After all of the hard work and excitement at the World Show, Cody is ready to relax.

“I’ll probably go to bed, I’m kind of tired,” he said. “I mean, (we’ll) probably go out to dinner and then who knows what’ll happen. It might be a late night, might be an early night, who knows.”