Cody Parrish and Invest With The Best Win Congress Green Western Riding

By: Brittany Bevis

A relative newcomer to the discipline of Western Riding was named the Congress Champion this morning in a very competitive Green Western Riding class. Cody Parrish rode Invest With The Best to score a 224.5 for owner Debbie Hill.

Under the tutelage of his parents, Bret and Candy Parrish, Cody has excelled in the Western Pleasure pen during his youth career and has now made a successful transition into open competition. Now, he’s added a new event to his repertoire.

“This horse is kind of special, because he is my first Western rider,” Cody says. “He has taught me so much. He’s the first one I’ve ever shown, and it’s my first time doing Western Riding. I taught him, and I’m the only one who’s ever ridden him, so it’s kind of cool for me and him.”

“This is my pet; no doubt. He’s like a dog. He follows me around. He’s going to Canada after this, so this is the last time I’ll get to show him. It’s pretty neat to get to do that on our last ride.”

Although “Taylor” was definitely feeling spry and spunky this morning, due to the cool weather, a quick gallop around the practice pen calmed his nerves. “To be honest with you, when we first came out, he was pretty fresh this morning!” Cody says. “Once he took a deep breath, he went in and showed perfect for me. It was probably the best run we’ve ever had.”

Cody certainly wasn’t expecting to win a Congress title in today’s class, given the stiff competition, including many fellow competitors who have given him advice in this particular discipline. “Poppa Dan Trein helped me so much,” Cody says. “He showed me the basics. If I needed anything, he was the guy I could go to. He gave me lots of tips. There are so many other people who have helped me, like Terry Cross, Robin Frid, and Laura McAllister.”

“To be honest, I hadn’t had much interest in other events [besides Western Pleasure], but I thought Western Riding would be fun. When I had the opportunity to ride and show Taylor, I jumped at it. To me, it looked like a fun class.”

The Reserve Champion in today’s class was Leslie Lange with RR Always Invited. Third place was Anthony Montes with Leaguers Finale. Fourth place was Carli Pitts with Hot Lady Born Lopin. Fifth place was Spencer Zimmerman with A Certain Red Vette. Sixth place was Tyler Schultz with Hay Good Looking. Seventh place was Kelly McDowall with Lets Be Radical. Eighth place was Charlie Cole with Invite Me Some More. Ninth place was Charlie Cole with VS Flatline. Tenth place was Jacob Hartman with Hotta Treasure.