My wife read a flyer on social media one evening a few weeks ago. Cody Ohl and Shad Mayfield were going to match rope for charity at Cody’s house in Hico, Texas. Shad’s friend had some major medical bills, so they decided to have a benefit roping. She said I’d like to see that. The more I thought about it the more I agreed. So, we made arrangements for someone to feed our animals for a couple days. We left a day early, stopping to see our daughter in Dallas and stopping again at NRS later that day. We stayed the night at the cowboy Capitol of the world, Stephenville, Texas. The next morning we drove south to Cody’s place, he calls it the gold buckle arena in Hico.
Shad is less than half Cody’s age. Shad’s the most athletic calf roper I’ve ever seen. He handles his rope really well, he’s ties calves low and tight, but, most importantly in my mind, from the time he ropes one until the time he strings the front leg isn’t very long. Roy Cooper was really good like that, from when he roped them to when he strung the front leg. Shad is reminiscent of Roy when he was in his prime.
I called Sylvester, Shad’s dad about eleven PM the night before the match. He was loading calves in the chute for Shad, they were practicing. Sylvester said it had rained that day and it was muddy, but Shad wanted to rope, so they roped in the mud. Shad said in an interview he was kind of nervous about matching Cody Ohl.
Normally, Shad would be an easy favorite when he matches someone twice his age, but this is Cody Ohl he’s matching. No other roper has a match roping record like Cody Ohl.
I first met Cody Ohl in 1989 at the Barry Burk roping in Ardmore. We were both fifteen years old. I won the breakaway and he won the tie down in the 13-15 age groups that year.
I had a fair amount of success in junior rodeo in Oklahoma and Arkansas growing up. I won or placed at just about every major junior rodeo that I entered. However, that day in 1989 in Ardmore at the Barry Burk roping I knew I was seeing someone special. Cody Ohl was the undisputed champ that day. He was fifteen years old and he roped in the senior tie down and tied the fastest calf of the day, an 8.23. He was fifteen years old and tied a calf in 8.2, in the senior age group division.
A couple of years later I entered Roy Cooper’s junior roping at Childress, Texas. Cody Ohl and Ty Hays match roped on eight calves. The calves were decent sized, the barrier was fairly long. It’s the best match roping I’ve ever seen. Neither one missed a calf, broke a barrier or fumbled a tie. It was close to the last calf. Both went on to win a lot in the PRCA and make the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Cody Ohl has been the fiercest competitor I have ever seen in my life. I’ve rodeoed from coast to coast and border to border and I’ve roped against them all. One year at Guymon he tied a calf in seven that I didn’t think could be kept on its feet, out of all the runs I’ve seen him make that one stands out the most. He had to baby that calf more than anything, it’s hard to slow down that much- and still be seven seconds.
The records he has amassed are numerous. He set the arena record at the national finals that has been equaled twice, but never broken. (Shad equaled it last year) They put up a big plaque of him at San Angelo because of all the match ropings he won. He’s won world championships, NFR average titles, the most NFR go round wins of anyone in history. He’s even placed at the World Series of team roping, which most people don’t even realize. Some of the best rope horses over the last forty years have been ridden by him, Pearl, Luke, Topper just to name a few.
Cody had a major illness that almost killed him. Cody posted videos of him tying a calf from the post a few months after he got out of the hospital. He could barely hobble down the rope. He said the week before the match he’d dropped ten pounds getting ready for it.
The ten head match was held on Sunday afternoon about three PM. It was over a hundred degrees. The calves were walking fresh, having never been roped. Both ropers started off roping conservative, making good solid runs. I think it was the third calf that stopped and Shad’s horse bumped it, causing Shad to miss. After three calves Cody Ohl at 49 years old was leading the match.
Cody kept making good solid runs the next few calves. Shad was playing catch up and going as fast as he could. On the eighth calf Cody reached and roped it. The figure eight action of the loop caused the loop to come off the calf’s head, which resulted in a no time for Cody.
Typical match calf roping anything can happen. I told my son when that loop came off it ain’t over until the fat lady sings. The leader board changed once again, Shad Mayfield was back on top.
Shad finished the match without any major hiccups, he won as he should have. After the match they were interviewed and Shad was humble. He said he appreciated Cody for inviting him and putting on a great benefit to help his friend.
When Cody was interviewed he talked about overcoming the health issues he’d had the last few years and his plans for the future. He said this was his last match roping. He wanted one last big time match against the toughest roper he could find. He tied his last calf in eight seconds and that was how he wanted it to end.
I was there in the beginning of his career. At the Barry Burk roping in Ardmore thirty something years ago. I was there for the end as well.
In my lifetime I’ve met presidents, royalty, and world leaders, but one of the greatest memories I’ll always have was watching Cody Ohl rope.
We all knew what was coming on that last calf against Shad. I’ve seen him do it time and time again. The odds were stacked heavily against him, bad knees, hundred degree weather, riding his daughters breakaway horse, not Pearl, Luke or Topper. Yet once again Cody Ohl delivered on the last calf.
James Lockhart lives near the Kiamichi mountains in southeast Oklahoma. He writes cowboy stories and fools with cows and horses.
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