Singleton’s Cody Heffernan was put on the back of a calf when he was four years old. Fast forward 30 years and he is the 2016 and 2022 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Australia Champion, 2018 ABCRA Australian Bull Riding Champion and a list of other achievements including recently becoming a dad to five-month-old Jettson.
Bull riding isn’t a sport for the feint hearted and it certainly comes with its share of injuries, but the athletes say the payoff is always worth it.
“When I was four years old, I got on my first calf. My dad and my brother chucked me on one, I think I fell off after two seconds but that’s where it started,” Cody reflected.
“My whole family was into rodeos; they were going just about every weekend, and would you believe the day I was born that is exactly where my dad was!
“I continued riding through the junior ranks all the way through to when I broke into the open ranks when I was 16 years old.
“I got onto the PBR Australia circuit when I was 18, I won an event and made finals my first year. After that year something happened, I just went through 6 to 12 months of not riding very well.
“That’s when I went over the USA to ride on the college rodeo circuit over there.
“I enjoyed it, I got so much out of it. The whole reason for going over was to take one step back to go two steps forward and learn. I lived over there for three years and made the college national finals, did a lot of pro rodeos and jumped on the PBR circuit over there.
“After gaining all that experience, in 2014 I was ready to come home and put everything I learnt into practice.
“My first season back home I was getting used to the bulls again, they were all different. I finished fourth in the PBR in 2015 which really put a fire in my belly and in 2016 no one stopped me and I won the PBR Australia title in 2016.
“The next step was to make the World Finals in America, the top 35 go over there and I was sitting 37th in the World. Due to injuries, I ended up making it and competed in Las Vegas which was amazing.”
Cody left Las Vegas in 37th position.
Cody’s career hasn’t been without his fair share of injuries.
“I seem to have a lot of close calls where I walk away and haven’t had a career ending injury.
“We’re looking after ourselves a lot more than we were say ten years ago. Our fitness programs are a lot better, and our recovery time is a lot better.”
Cody’s most recent injury to his ankle had him out for longer than he anticipated.
“The last 12 months I have probably only done about ten events, so that’s maybe 15 bulls in the last year. That is nothing really, you could go every weekend and get on 60 bulls in a year.
“I was injured at Tamworth last year; I was out for four months. Then I came back for three events and got injured again which was in April and I had five months out for ankle surgery.
“It’s as good as it can be now, it bothers me at times, but it doesn’t hurt when I ride.”
Between all of the travelling and the injuries there have been plenty of highlights in Cody’s bull riding career.
“Riding Hillbilly Delux in 2016 is a highlight. He won the PBR Championship Bull title in 2016, the same year I won my first title. That ride sealed the national title for me so it’s always been special.”
But nothing quite compares to Cody’s son Jettson seeing him ride for the first time this year in his wife Alexandra’s hometown of Maryborough in Queensland.
“That was the first win I’ve had with my new baby boy. So that was pretty special, he was asleep, but he was there so that was so special.
“I rode two really good bulls there, so I was really happy with it. It gave me some confidence back after being off so long from injury, it reaffirmed that I can keep going.
“It’s been a bit of a shock to the system having bub and working in training and a full-time job and travelling around but Jett makes it all worth it.”
Heading into the Tamworth PBR event Cody is sitting in 14th position on the standings and with a good performance he could break into the top ten.
