July 12, 2024, Phoenix, Arizona – Country music superstar Cody Johnson has announced a new roping event with his name on it in Texas. The first-ever CoJo Open Team Roping, along with amateur ropings and a charity gala, will be held in the climate-controlled Cadence Bank Center Arena in Belton, Texas on Oct. 15-19.

“Roping is what I do to get away from the smoke and lights,” said Johnson, a former bull rider. “When I’m out there horseback with a rope in my hand, I just get to be who I am at the core, and that’s a cowboy.”

The CoJo, produced by Bob Feist Invitational owners Ullman Peterson Events, will award dually trucks, horse trailers, saddles, buckles and rifles to the Open champions, plus custom Johnson-signed guitars in the other ropings.

“My goal is to build the biggest roping in the United States,” said the recording artist who’s won three CMT Music Awards and two CMA Awards, plus had two No. 1 singles and released an award-winning documentary around his song Dear Rodeo. “When I step out on stage, I don’t want to just play a show. I want it to be the best show you’ve ever seen. I want this roping to be the same way. This hat is real, this buckle is real, this music is real and this roping will be real, too.”

The inaugural CoJo Open qualifying rounds will be held Oct. 15 with 85% payback on fees of $750 per man, sending the top 60 teams on three to the finals on Oct. 19. This format greatly resembles the one used for decades at the George Strait Team Roping Classic in San Antonio, which several ropers have told Johnson they miss.

“I wanted to respectfully pick up the torch,” Johnson said of that other singer who liked to rope. “George Strait is a hero of mine. I’ve met the man a few times, and he’s everything I thought he would be. If we’re talking about a guy in country music who’s stood up for cowboy, and made sure that cowboy was kept at the forefront of his songs, George Strait is my gold standard.”

The day after the preliminary rounds, Johnson will host the CoJo Golf Tournament – a four-man scramble for $1,000 per team – at the top-flight Mill Creek Country Club in nearby Salado, Texas. And the next day, expect an enter-twice 12.5 for $1,000 a man, followed up on the 18th by an enter-twice 10.5 Businessman’s roping with an 8.5 Incentive for $850 per man. 

That night, Johnson and hosts Joe Beaver and Luke Branquinho will host a social hour followed by Champs For Charity – a gala complete with steak dinner, live and silent auctions and the calcutta of the 60 final Open teams, wrapped up with an acoustic performance by Johnson. The gala will raise funds for two charities beloved by Cody and Brandi Johnson – the Texas-based Different Day Foundation for sex-trafficking victims and the Texas FFA. 

On Oct. 19 the grand finale, thanks to Bill Fick Ford, will kick off with the CoJo Celebrity Pro-Am Roping at 9 a.m. (enter twice for $500 a man, capped at 5/5 ropers). Then the final 60 teams of the Open will rope at 2 p.m. in a clean-slate three-header, followed by the CoJo After-Party at Schoepf’s BBQ in Belton.

Entries are open and tickets are on sale. Find details at CoJoTeamRoping.com. 

About Cody Johnson
COJO Music / Warner Music Nashville Platinum recording artist Cody Johnson has established a following of passionately loyal fans who regularly sell out shows across the country. MusicRow predicted Cody “just might be the future of real country music” as his career has skyrocketed with four celebrated albums, Leather, Human The Double Album, A Cody Johnson Christmas and Cody Johnson & The Rockin’ CJB Live, and an award-winning feature-length documentary “Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story.” He has 46 career RIAA certifications, a Pandora Billionaire Award, 7 billion global streams and two #1 singles. 

About Ullman-Peterson Events

The Phoenix-based production company helmed by Daren and Kami Peterson and Corky Ullman has owned and produced the Bob Feist Invitational since 2012 and purchased the Reno Rodeo Invitational team ropings in 2015. Founded by notable rodeo announcer and publisher Bob Feist in 1977, the BFI is the richest team roping event for professionals and one of the most prestigious, due to its limited roster and long head-start for steers. The high-stakes amateur, female and youth roping events surrounding the BFI comprise Wrangler BFI Week – the most lucrative one-day events of their kind.