2024 Cowboy Great

Cody Taton

Cody Taton was born to be a cowboy. Cody even started cutting teeth on a saddle horn, and by the time he was three, he could rope anything that moved, including his little sister. Starting his first horse at just nine years old, he honed his skills in some of the last country schools. Working summers for the Reeves family, he built a strong foundation in rodeo, qualifying for the South Dakota High School Rodeo Finals twice in team roping. After graduating from Newell, SD, Cody furthered his education at junior college in Glendive, MT, and then at Panhandle State in Goodwell, OK, where he qualified 4 times for the College National Finals Rodeo in bronc riding. His hard work paid off as he made a name for himself in the rodeo circuit and he earned a spot in the top 50 in the world standings from 2008 to 2014. Cody qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time in 2008, when he won the WNFR average title with 720.5 points on nine head, placing in five rounds and finishing 5th in the world standings. In 2012, Cody placed in two rounds of the WNFR on his way to finishing 7th in the average and 8th in the final world standings. As well as is accomplishments in the US, Cody also qualified for the Canadian Finals in 2007 and 2008. Cody's dedication and passion truly embody the spirit of the cowboy lifestyle!