Cord McCoy

Last updated
Cord McCoy
TAR Cord.jpg
Born (1980-08-19) August 19, 1980 (age 44)
Durant, Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma mater Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Occupation Rodeo
Television The Amazing Race 16 (2nd place)
The Amazing Race 18 (6th place)
The Amazing Race 24 (5th place)
Website Official website

Cord Jarret McCoy (born August 19, 1980) is an American professional rodeo stock contractor and producer and former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in saddle bronc riding and bull riding. He is best known as the 2nd-place finisher (along with his brother Jet McCoy) on The Amazing Race 16 . Jet and Cord returned to compete in the eighteenth season of The Amazing Race , finishing in 6th place. Jet and Cord returned for The Amazing Race 24 also known as "The Amazing Race All-Stars" finishing in 5th place. In 2022 and 2023, Cord was the head coach of the Oklahoma Freedom (Florida Freedom as of 2024) for the PBR Team Series season.

Contents

Background

McCoy was born in Durant, Oklahoma, to parents Denny McCoy, a rancher and horse trader, and Janet McCoy, a professional photographer. Cord grew up as a cowboy [1] in the small town of Tupelo, Oklahoma. [2]

He participated in his first rodeo competition in 1985 at age 5, after becoming interested in rodeo from his family. He was the catcher on his high school baseball team and qualified for the state tournament. He was a member of the Oklahoma high school team that won a national rodeo title and was a member of the Southwestern Oklahoma State rodeo team that finished second in the nation in 2000. He graduated from Tupelo High School with 13 other people. He attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma, and achieved a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.

Professional career

McCoy joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 2001. In 2002, he qualified for the PRCA Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. He also competed in the semi-pro International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) and won five world championships in said organization; bull riding in 2002, and saddle bronc riding and all-around, both times in 2002 and 2003. [3] In 2004, he won the average title at PRCA Xtreme Bulls Division II qualifying events in Clemson, South Carolina, and at Old Fort Days in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He also competed sporadically in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit.

In 2005, McCoy's career went more professional. He won the Four States Fair Rodeo in Texarkana, Arkansas; he was co-champion at the Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo in Garden City, Kansas; he won Red River Stampede PRCA Rodeo in Durant, Oklahoma; and he won the Mineral Wells, Texas PRCA Rodeo. He also competed at the Calgary Stampede. [4] Like many PRCA bull riders in the 2000s and 2010s, McCoy also competed in the Championship Bull Riding (CBR) circuit. He qualified for the CBR World Finals in 2005, as well as qualifying for the PRCA's National Finals Rodeo (NFR) that same year. He placed 14th at the NFR.

In 2006, McCoy left the PRCA and CBR to compete full-time in the PBR. As a result of winning enough money on the PBR's minor league Challenger Tour, he earned a pathway to compete on the organization's premier tour, the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS). He qualified for the PBR World Finals in 2006, 2008-2009 and 2011.

On June 15, 2010 it was announced that McCoy, with his brother Jet, would be the parade marshals for the Calgary Stampede parade that would take place on July 9, 2010. [1] [5] [6]

McCoy's final professional bull riding out was at the PBR Touring Pro Division event in Decatur, Texas in June 2013. [7] In October of that year, he announced his retirement from the sport. [8]

In February 2017, he was inducted into the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Athletics - Hall of Fame. [9]

In 2016, McCoy attempted a comeback as a rodeo contestant. He tried to qualify in saddle bronc riding for The American Rodeo's semi-finals by competing in some of the event's qualifiers. He also tried to qualify for the PRCA's National Finals Rodeo. As a result of a serious saddle bronc riding head injury from 2004 (the last year he competed professionally in said rodeo event), he rode with a helmet; something extremely rare among professional bucking horse riders. He ended up finishing low in the final PRCA world standings that year, and retired as a contestant for good, again.

Injuries

In September 26, 2004, McCoy had his skull crushed by a saddle bronc in Oklahoma City. [10] He spent three days in a coma and had eight months of rehab before returning to the rodeo circuit. In 2005, he separated his shoulder in the fourth round of the Wrangler NFR and missed the next six of 10 rounds with the injury. He placed fifth in the first round with an 83.5 on Rafter H Rodeo's Roan Wolf.

The Amazing Race 16

Cord and his brother Jet competed on The Amazing Race 16 . They won 4 out of the 12 legs, and was the first team ever to go from last place on a non-elimination leg, complete a Speed Bump, and come in first place on the next leg. They won a pair of sailboats, and trips for two to Patagonia, Maui, and Alaska. In the final leg, they were placed 2nd, ultimately losing the one million dollar grand prize and "The Amazing Race 16" winners' title to brothers Dan and Jordan Pious.

Placements during the Race

The Amazing Race 18

Cord, along with his brother Jet returned for the 18th season of The Amazing Race commonly known as The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business . They won $5,000 each in Leg 5. However, in the 9th leg, they fell to last place after the Roadblock in Liechtenstein and lost even more time when they were U-Turned by the Harlem Globetrotters of Flight Time & Big Easy on a Double U-Turn. They were the only team to be U-Turned on a Double U-Turn, and were eliminated in the 9th Leg.

Placements during the Race

The Amazing Race 24: All Stars

Cord, along with his brother Jet returned for the 24th season of The Amazing Race commonly known as The Amazing Race: All Stars . In Leg 1, they won two Express Passes (one Express Pass which they can use to bypass any task and also get to keep it for themselves until Leg 8. As required by The Amazing Race rules, they had to hand over the other Express Pass to another team of their choosing before the end of Leg 5, and they gave the other Express Pass to country singers Caroline & Jennifer, who used it in Leg 2 to bypass the Roadblock). In Leg 4, they won a trip for two to London. In Leg 8, they used the Express Pass to bypass the Detour. In Leg 10, their season came to an end with a 5th Place finish due to being U-Turned by Leo & Jamal. They were the only team to be U-Turned on a Double U-Turn for the 2nd time, and were eliminated in the 10th Leg.

Placements during the Race

Post-career

Since retiring as a rodeo contestant, McCoy and his wife Sara have bred and raised rodeo livestock. One of their bucking bulls, Ridin' Solo, won the 2018 American Bucking Bull, Inc. (ABBI) World Champion Futurity Bull title, [11] as well as the PBR World Champion Bull title in 2022 and 2023. [12] [13] Cord and Sara also produce some PRCA rodeos.

Also in 2022, Cord became the head coach of the Oklahoma Freedom; one of eight bull riding teams of the PBR's Team Series, which debuted that year. It runs from the summer to autumn and concludes with the Team Series Championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. [14] 2009 PBR World Champion Kody Lostroh became the team's assistant coach. In September of that year, the Oklahoma Freedom won the event at Cowboy Days in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; the hometown event of rival team, the Carolina Cowboys. [15] The very next weekend, the Freedom won their own hometown event at Freedom Fest in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They were the first team to win their own hometown event. [16] The Freedom ended up finishing in fourth place at the conclusion of the inaugural PBR Team Series Championship. [17]

In 2023, the Freedom were eliminated after the second day of the Team Series Championship. [18]

In 2024, the Oklahoma Freedom became the Florida Freedom, as the team relocated to Sunrise, Florida. [19] This resulted as the end of McCoy's tenure as the team's head coach, as well as Lostroh's tenure as assistant coach. Since that year, McCoy is a color commentator for the PBR Team Series alongside longtime PBR commentator Craig Hummer. [20] As of the 2025 season, McCoy is also a color commentator for the PBR's Unleash the Beast Series (UTB) alongside Hummer. [21]

Personal life

On November 1, 2009, McCoy proposed to his girlfriend Sara Best while being interviewed by PBR in front of an audience. [22] They have a daughter, Tulsa, and reside in Lane, Oklahoma. He has three brothers, Justen Brent, JoRay C., and Jet Merrick, and one sister, Nikki.

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 "AM 770: News. Talk. Sports. - National News". Am770chqr.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Exclusive Interview: Jet and Cord from 'The Amazing Race'". Buddytv.com. May 13, 2010. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Past World Champions". International Professional Rodeo Association. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ Platt, Michael (June 16, 2010). "Stampede due for a reality check | Columnists | Opinion". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  5. ↑ "TV news and listings for Wednesday". The Star. Toronto. June 16, 2010.
  6. ↑ "'Amazing Race' cowboys to lead Calgary stampede | CTV News". Ctvnews.ca. June 15, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Cord McCoy ProBullStats outs". ProBullStats. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Time to walk away: Tupelo's Cord McCoy retires from bull riding". The Ada News. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Southwestern Oklahoma State University Athletics - Hall of Fame". swosuathletics.com. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  10. ↑ "'Amazing Race' finalist Cord McCoy to compete in Asquith, Saskatchewan". www.leaderpost.com. Leader-Post. Archived from the original on June 4, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  11. ↑ "612 RIDIN SOLO". McCoy Bulls. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Ridin' Solo wins 2022 PBR World Champion Bull title". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Ridin' Solo wins second consecutive PBR World Champion Bull title". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Cord McCoy to Head Coach the Oklahoma Freedom". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Oklahoma Freedom win 2022 Cowboy Days" . Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Oklahoma Freedom win hometown event". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  17. ↑ "#InCaseYouMissedIt: Nashville Stampede stun to win PBR Team Series Championship". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  18. ↑ "#InCaseYouMissedIt: Texas Rattlers storm to 2023 PBR Camping World Teams Championship". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Oklahoma Freedom relocate to Sunrise, Florida". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  20. ↑ "2024 PBR Teams game and broadcast schedule announced". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  21. ↑ "PBR events to air live on RidePass on Pluto TV and YouTube to begin 2025 season". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Cord McCoy". The Rodeo News. August 23, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2019.

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