Cody Harter, Region I Whatakid
Congratulations to the Whatakid of the month, Cody Harter. The region one senior competes in the tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping; however, he claims the tie-down roping as his favorite event.
His favorite part of the organization is getting to spend time with his family and friends. Cody said the THSRA has helped him learn the importance of working together and has helped him gain the ability to assess the mistakes that were made during a run and how to fix them. He also explained how the organization sets him apart due to the experiences he has had the lessons he has learned. “I have learned to be more independent and more responsible sooner than other kids my age,” he said.
A typical day in the life of Cody consists of going to school until 2 p.m. and then heading to work at the Tascosa feed yard until 6 p.m. From there, he heads home to practice roping and exercises his horses every evening.
His number one horse seems to live up to his name, Uno. Cody partners with Uno in the calf roping and team roping events. When he is not at school, at work, or practicing for a rodeo, Cody enjoys hunting and fishing. He is an A/B honor roll student and on a day to day Cody said he lives his life by the motto, "go fast because life is short."
Throughout his membership in the THSRA, Cody has been the reserve champion steer wrestler two years in a row and has qualified for state the past three years. He has also been an event director each year of competition.
While rewarding, success never comes without a cost. Sacrifice has a tendency to accompany success and most individuals involved in the rodeo world are no stranger to this correlation. Cody explained how he had to give up football and baseball his sophomore year of high school in order to devote more time to his practices as well as the the rodeo road.
Even though sacrifice might be prevalent in the rodeo industry, this sport is also known for having some pretty great role models and sources of inspiration. “My grandpa is my hero,” Cody said. “He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo six years in a row; he always had a good word of advice.”
Cody explained how he is thankful for Whataburger's sponsorship of the THSRA and all that they do for the organization. “It is a great honor to be selected as the Whatakid of the month, and it inspires me to keep doing what I’m doing,” Cody said.
In the future, Cody plans to continue his rodeo career on the collegiate level and eventually enter into the world of professional rodeo competition. Until then, we wish him all of the best as he finishes up his final year as a THSRA member and big congratulations on being the Whatakid of the month!
