If anyone was happier than inaugural CoJo Open winners Andrew Ward and Jake Long, it was Cody Johnson himself. Andersen CbarC Photos
Cody Johnson stays busy keeping cowboy in country music. But he somehow manages to find the time for what matters most in life, like his family and fellow-cowboy friends. The CoJo is a passion project that combines his love for team roping and his generous heart for giving back. Saturday’s inaugural CoJo Open was a fitting grand finale to a spectacular week of roping and raising money for worthy causes close to cowboy Cody’s heart. And nobody left the Cadence Bank Center Arena in Belton, Texas more thrilled to brag about it than happy champs Andrew Ward and Jake Long, who won $32,500 a man and skipped town with Bill Fick Ford Trucks and Bloomers Trailers loaded down with prizes.
“This is such a God thing,” said Ward, who’s 34 and lives in Edmond, Oklahoma with his wife, Hayli. “I won third at the last George Strait (Team Roping Classic with Cody Doescher in 2017), and I never thought we’d have another chance at winning a truck and trailer. It was so sad when that roping went away. What a gift this is. I can’t thank Cody enough for what he’s doing here.”
Ward and Long stomped on the gas and never let up, roping three steers in 16.69 seconds to win the first-ever CoJo by nearly two seconds.
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Johnson joined forces with Ullman Peterson Events to produce The CoJo, and it was pretty cool to see the cowboys having as much fun as the fans.
“Anytime you win a truck and trailer at a roping, it ranks way up there as a very special win in your career,” said Coffeyville, Kansas native Long, 40, whose cheering section always includes his wife, Tasha, and daughters, Haven and Haizlee. “We all grew up wanting to win a gold buckle, but a win like this, where between the cash and prizes we each won over $200,000—that’s a big deal.
“Cody’s a good dude, and he doesn’t act like he’s better than any of the rest of us. You’d never know he’s so dang famous, because back behind the chutes he’s just one of the guys. He’s great for the roping and rodeo industry.”
Ward and Long were one of 178 teams that roped in Tuesday’s (October 15) qualifying rounds. The top 60 teams on three steers advanced to Saturday’s clean-slate CoJo Open finals, which featured two full rounds and a top-20 Wrangler Championship Round. The winners won the October 19 three-steer average in 16.69 seconds for $30,000 a man, and their 4.88-second run in Round 1 added another $2,500 apiece to their already fat wallets.
CoJo called on his friend Bill Fick to come up with F-350 crew cab dually trucks for the champs, and No Bull Bill came through with flying colors.
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Ward, who’ll head for Kollin VonAhn at his fifth-straight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December, roped with VonAhn, Long and Wesley Thorp in the CoJo prelims. He rode his 13-year-old brown bomber Biscuit, who’s registered name is Cole E Man, to the CoJo winner’s circle.
“Biscuit’s won everything for me,” Andrew said of the horse he’s also won the NFR and The American on. “I started rodeoing on him when he was 5. He’s just been so good for so long. No, great. This horse is great, and such a big blessing in my life.”
Long—who roped with Ward, world heading leader Dustin Egusquiza and Clint Summers in the qualifying rounds, and will heel for Summers at his 14th NFR in December—leaned on the red roan he calls Roger, who came from Casey Stipes and is 11 now.
“Roger stepped up and became my No. 1 horse last year,” Jake said. “He’s not the flashiest animal alive, but he’s got the closest feel to my old faithful, Colonel. This horse was just Heaven sent.”
As was this roping for the best in our business. The cowboys called it all first class, from the cattle to the conditions.
Jake and Randy Bloomer joined CoJo in awarding gooseneck stock combo Bloomer Trailers to Ward and Long.
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“The steers were great,” Ward said. “They were strong, and gave everybody a chance. The start was basically a rodeo start. Our game plan was to go as fast as we could without messing up, and to try to be really aggressive and get ahead. It’s very hard to be high callback at any jackpot, and they won’t let you just have the win at a roping this big and good. A few people stepped on themselves in the short round trying to win this truck and trailer, but how can you blame any of us for that?
“Jake and I second partnered this year, and have filled in with each other over the years. Fact is, Jake roped with me before I was very good. I’ll always appreciate that, and it makes it even more fun to win this with him. Our styles fit for this roping, and we both kept our foot on the gas. I thought we did a pretty good job of finishing the roping under high stress. All that money and all these prizes comes with extra pressure.”
“The steers were awesome—even and strong—which made for a horseman and roper contest today,” added Long. “The barrier was set out there perfect, where we just had to run out into the middle of the arena and make our best run when we caught up. We were 4 on our first two steers today, but they just felt like rhythm runs and comfortable heeling to me. I’m not exactly the most comfortable guy when we have a long 8 to win it. That feels like more pressure than trying to be 4, because I’m just wired so aggressive. I have learned over the years to take my first good shot, and not second-guess myself. It always feels good to come through in the clutch and shut the door.
“Andrew and I are buddies, which makes it fun to win together. But we’re all friends out here, so it means a lot to win something like this with anybody. We drew pretty good today, and the runs came together. It’s so rare to be roping at a truck and trailer that the goal was to rope aggressive and give ourselves a shot at that sweet rig. We all thought we were done dreaming about a day like this when the George Strait shut down.”
The King of Country Music, who also loves to rope, set as high a bar as a roping producer as he did on stage. CoJo admires all of it, and is committed to this roping for the long haul.
“Team roping has all but consumed my life since 2020, and roping is what I do to get away from the smoke and lights,” Johnson said. “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.
“George Strait is a hero of mine. And all I’ve heard since I started team roping is, ‘We miss The Strait.’ I wanted to respectfully pick up the torch.”
That he has, and CoJo’s cowboy friends could not be more thankful.
The prize line at the first-ever CoJo Open was as epic as the event’s country-singing cowboy host.
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“I cannot believe the prizes Cody gave at this roping. I can’t even name them all,” said Ward; in addition to the Bill Fick Ford F-350 dually trucks and gooseneck stock combo Bloomer Trailers, both winners were also awarded custom guitars, Gist Buckles, Cactus Saddles, Smarty Trainers, Turtlebox Speakers, Resistol Hat Pacs, Resistol Hats, Cactus Gear Horse Blankets and Blue Otter Sunglasses. “It’s unbelievable what Cody Johnson did for us here. I’m so grateful. I’ve had some special wins I didn’t see coming. I’ll always remember this day.
“It’s been a great year,” Long agreed. “Clint and I had an amazing year rodeoing, and the jackpots have been awesome. I’m beyond honored by all of it.”
Ward and Long won the roping by almost two seconds, as reserve champs Shane Philipp and Lane Mitchell—who climbed 10 spots from 12th high callback—were 18.60 on three for $21,000 per man, including $2,500 for their 6.21-second first-place run in the Wrangler Championship Round. In addition to the loot, Philipp and Mitchell were awarded silver-engraved Henry Big Boy 44 Magnum Rifles, Resistol Hat Pacs, and Cactus Gear Saddle Pads and Horse Blankets.
Every cowboy has a favorite CoJo song, and the inaugural CoJo Open champs are no exception.
“’Dear Rodeo,’ definitely,” grinned Ward, who’s won well over $1 million in his professional rodeo career. “I love that song. It’s sort of sad. But it’s about this life we all love so much. This has just been an incredible year. Kollin and I made the NFR right there at the very last rodeo of the regular season at Sioux Falls (South Dakota). And this was our next big spot. You never know when the next big win is coming. I guess I’m on a little heater. This is incredible.
“Cody’s a really personable guy, and I’ve talked to him some over the years. When we were riding around the warmup arena on the first day, I couldn’t thank him enough for having us. He just says, ‘You guys are my people.’ How lucky are we that he feels like that? He really is one of us. And he’s doing a great thing for team ropers. We’re all so thankful already, and knowing Cody, it’ll just get bigger and better. If that’s possible, he’ll find a way.”
Ward and Long were elated to get the W at the inaugural CoJo.
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Ward was elated, but didn’t have much time after all the hugs and handshakes before he had to head to a charter plane waiting to take him back to Duncan, Oklahoma for Saturday night’s third and final round of the 2024 Prairie Circuit Finals.
Jake’s CoJo fave is “The Only One I Know,” which is, naturally, about this cowboy life.
“I won the George Strait with Coleman Proctor in 2010,” said Long, who’s won over $2.5 million heeling steers in rodeo arenas alone. “To get to win the roping that hopes to follow in that great George Strait roping’s footsteps is a huge honor. It’s great to get our names on the board, and as this new tradition continues to grow, we can look back on this and know we’ll always be the first.
“Getting to be a part of history is really special. Cody Johnson’s going to make a lot of it in two arenas. We’re all really lucky he loves to rope, because he’s going to make our whole sport better for all of us.”
