Winning six figures? Something to strum about

At the second CoJo Championship Event, presented by Tractor Supply Company, October 7-12, country music superstar Cody Johnson and producer Ullman Peterson Events awarded custom guitars, along with $1.3 million in cash payouts to the champions. 

And nobody was happier with their new guitars than 10.5 Businessman’s Roping champs Mel Smith and veterinarian Dr. Randy Lewis. The good friends from Polar and Abilene, Texas, respectively, have been oh-so-close to a big win for years, and finally bested 200 teams to get it, despite Lewis battling extreme back pain and Smith having lost his wife of 37 years just 40 days earlier. 

“He’s a great guy, and what he’s gone through with his wife this year made this pretty emotional,” said Lewis. “I told him afterward that I was glad we could do it together.” 

As for himself, Lewis had split big paychecks for placing in ropings about a decade ago, but this one meant more – and not just because he fumbled his final dally before pinching it off. 

“Truthfully, this is a bigger win,” said Lewis, who likes to relax on his back porch and strum his own guitars after long days at his West Texas Equine Veterinary Clinic in Abilene, Texas. “I was most excited about winning that guitar. I already played it! It plays quite well for a trophy.” 

Smith, too, was actually so excited about his new guitar that he took off without picking up his half of the winning team’s $100,000 paycheck. He had to turn around and drive back into the Cadence Bank Center for the money and saddle certificate. 

Johnson designed the event in Belton, Texas, after the former George Strait Team Roping Classic for professional ropers. It includes an annual charity gala to raise funds for his favorite causes, including Texas FFA.  

“For Cody Johnson to take up that roping after The Strait ended, it’s just helping perpetuate our sport,” said Smith. “It’s a good deal. It got a lot of teams and paid a lot, at a great facility. It’s a prestigious event.” 

Now in its second year, it paid more than ever. That’s partly why Lewis, a 5 heeler, fought through back surgery this year and a six-month recovery, with a second surgery already scheduled. 

 “By lunchtime that day, I’d warmed up enough to talk myself into getting on a horse,” he recalled. “My surgeon said I have the back of someone who’s been shoeing horses for 30 years.” 

The veterinarian built an arena and keeps steers at his Abilene clinic, so he can rope in the evenings if he gets the chance. Smith, a 5.5 header, appreciates his old friend enduring the pain, and was enduring plenty of his own.  

“My wife, Lori, passed away from frontal temporal dementia that she got at 57 years old,” said Smith, 66. “It’s the same thing Bruce Willis has. They gave her six to eight years and she lasted nine.” 

The past two years were super hard, and her care was expensive, considering Smith didn’t have health insurance. He said he was “super emotional” when he went back to his truck after the big win with his rope.  

“She came to all my ropings with her iPad, and would have been so excited,” he said. “But she saw it.” 

Lewis rode a nice switch-ender gelding he bought from Darrel Hicks named Mr Bayberry Cookie, who is a 2011 gelding by Laredo Blue Roan and out of Blueberry Cookie by Mecom Blue. He was bred by Wichita Ranch of Brenham, Texas. Smith was aboard a horse he bought from his cousin, ProRodeo Hall-of-Famer Tee Woolman, named My Freckles Ritamos, who is a 2008 gelding by Tamulena and out of Freckles Lena Gal by Freckles Merada. He was bred by Steve Miles of Asher, Oklahoma. Even though Smith and Woolman grew up together in Oklahoma, Smith never roped off a horse until he was 45. 

“When Tee and I were kids, we worked at his dad’s gas station and roped the dummy all day long,” recalled Smith. “Tee went the rodeo way and I ran hurdles in college and played open-league basketball until I was 45.” 

Smith had quite a month. After Lori’s death on August 27, his first day of retirement from his job in the plastics industry was September 1; then her memorial was September 13. He credits the support of Tee and the buddies he ropes with – George McQuain and Craig Moore for helping him through it. 

“I go jackpot every weekend,” Smith said. “I have to, to get everything off my mind. That’s what I practice for – it’s just what I do now.” 

The 10.5 Businessman’s paid 16 holes and increased 30 percent in payout from last year. It also paid five holes in the three-steer consolation. Prior to winning it, both gentlemen had also scored paychecks in the 12.5. Lewis placed seventh with Tory Morrison for $10,000 a man and 11th with Twister Vinson as an incentive team for $8,000, while Smith placed 16th with Doug Wilson as an incentive team to earn $5,000. Finally, Lewis also placed fourth in the Pro Am with Tyler Wade for another $2,500. 

“With Ullman Peterson also producing the BFI (Bob Feist Invitational), they’ve done a great job of transitioning some old established ropings into something new and making them better,” said Lewis. “Everyone said the BFI wouldn’t be the same away from Reno, but that roping in Guthrie is spectacular – everybody wants to go.” 

At the CoJo, AQHA also presented AQHA Fan Favorite Awards to honor the horses that embody athleticism, partnership and the enduring spirt of the American Quarter Horse. Fans from around the world were invited and encouraged to vote for their favorites at the CoJo. This year’s winners were: 

• Breakaway: Dry Fire Cash, 2014 bay gelding (PG Dry Fire-Annies Cashalena by NU Cash), ridden by Harley Meged of Stephenville, Texas. Bred by Timothy and Kelly Bagnell of Polson, Montana. 

• CoJo Open: Mr Joes Shadow Bar, a 2011 bay gelding (Mr Joes Bar Song-Princess Hailstone by Nick Eyed Cody), ridden and owned by Clint Summers of Lake City, Florida. The horse was bred by Randy and Treva Smyser of Sheridan, Missouri. 

• Amateur Jackpots: RR Rockys Real Deal, a 2018 buckskin gelding (Rocky Top Pep-Jessies Gal 037 by BH Dots In Command), ridden by Jake Leach of Wichita Falls, Texas. Bred by Inderman Schaffner LLC of Stephenville, Texas. 

For more details, please visit COJOTeamRoping.com. 

About Cody Johnson:  COJO Music/Warner Music Nashville Platinum recording artist Cody Johnson has recorded five albums: Leather, Human The Double Album, A Cody Johnson Christmas, Cody Johnson & The Rockin’ CJB Live, and Ain’t Nothin’ To It, plus an award-winning feature-length documentary: “Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story.” He has 47 career RIAA certifications, a Pandora Billionaire Award, nearly 7.5 billion global streams and two #1 singles. The CMT Artist of The Year winner launched this year’s “The Leather Tour” with numerous sold-out dates, including a record-breaking show at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. 
 

About Ullman Peterson Events: In addition to producing the annual Cody Johnson Championship Event in Belton, Texas, each October, Phoenix-based Ullman Peterson Events produces a week of ropings in Fallon, Nevada, each July and since 2012 has owned and produced the 48-year-old Bob Feist Invitational each April in Guthrie, Oklahoma. BFI Week features the world’s richest one-day team roping event for professionals along with six subsequent days of additional high-stakes amateur ropings that are among most lucrative in the world.