Cody Lambert (born December 2, 1961, in Artesia, New Mexico)[1] is an American former professional rodeocowboy. He specialized in saddle bronc riding and bull riding.[2] He was also a co-founder and vice president of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR).[3] He created the protective vest that professional bull riders have been required to wear for many years, after witnessing the death of his friend, Lane Frost at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on July 30, 1989.[4] Since 2022, Lambert has been the head coach of the Texas Rattlers during the PBR Team Series season. In 2023, the Rattlers won the PBR Team Series Championship title.
In 2023, Lambert was ranked No. 19 on the list of the top 30 bull riders in PBR history.[5]
Early and personal life
Cody Lambert is the son of racehorse trainer Cliff Lambert, who was the first jockey to win the All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs aboard Galobar in 1959.[6] Cody has three siblings, brothers Chuck and Casey Lambert, the latter a successful racehorse jockey, and sister Cheyann.[7] Cody lives in Bowie, Texas, on a ranch with his wife, Leanne, and their horses and dogs.[8]
Lambert qualified for the PRCA's championship event, the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), 10 times - seven in bull riding (1985-86, 1988-89, 1991-93) and three in saddle bronc (1981, 1990-91), and also qualified for the PBR World Finals three times (1994-96). 1991 was the only year in which he qualified for the NFR in two events simultaneously.
Lambert won the PBR's inaugural event, the Tuff Hedeman Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, in April 1993. He officially retired from bull riding at the end of the 1996 PBR World Finals. While an active rider and also when retired, he served as the PBR's vice president. When retired as a contestant, he also served as a PBR bull riding judge, and as the PBR's livestock director.[10]
Coaching career
In 2022, after retiring as the PBR's Director of Livestock at the conclusion of that year's PBR World Finals in May, Lambert became the head coach of the Texas Rattlers; one of eight bull riding teams of the PBR's Teams Series, which debuted that year. It runs from the summer and autumn and concludes with the Team Series Championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.[11]
In late September 2022, the Texas Rattlers won the event at Thunder Days in Ridgedale, Missouri; the hometown event of rival team, the Missouri Thunder.[12] Two weeks later, the Rattlers won their own hometown event at Rattler Days in Fort Worth, Texas.[13] The very next weekend, the Rattlers won their third event in a row at Ridge Rider Days in Glendale, Arizona; the hometown event of rival team, the Arizona Ridge Riders.[14] The Rattlers ended up in second place during the regular season. As a result, them and regular-season champions, the Austin Gamblers, received first-round byes and did not compete during the first day of the Team Series Championship. The Rattlers ended up finishing in third place at the conclusion of the inaugural PBR Teams Series Championship.[15]
In September 2023, the Rattlers won Thunder Days for the second year in a row.[16] Later in early October of that year, the Rattlers won their own hometown event at Rattler Days for the second year in a row as well.[17] In late October of that year, after making it through the first two days of the Team Series Championship, the Rattlers succeeded in making it to the final round against the Austin Gamblers. The Rattlers ended up defeating the Gamblers to win the PBR Team Series championship title.[18]
In 2024, the Texas Rattlers were eliminated after the second day of the Team Series Championship.[19]
In 2002, he was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.[21] Inducted for his rodeo accomplishments, the museum features many of Lambert's personal items used during his rodeo career.[citation needed]
^ ab"PBR Top 30". Professional Bull Riders. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
^Herrera, Peter. "Cliff Lambert: Life On The Lead"(PDF). New Mexico Horse Breeder. files.speedhorse.com. Archived from the original(PDF) on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
