Twenty year-old Cody Parrish of Pavo, Georgia has had an exciting week. On Tuesday, he won the Green Western Riding with Invest With The Best at the Congress beating out everyone, including all of the older, well known western riding trainers in the industry. Parrish tied with Leslie Lange with a score of a 224.5 and won the tie breaker. It is Cody’s first Congress Championship as a trainer, and he is “still on cloud nine!”
Cody is the oldest son of trainers Bret and Candy Parrish of Parrish Quarter Horses. His mother, Candy, told us that she was very proud of her son, “It is beyond explaining. It is his first win as a trainer, and he trained this horse himself in the western riding from start to finish.”
GoHorseShow sat down for an interview with Cody and asked him about his win and plans for the future.
GoHorseShow: HI Cody! Congratulations on your win. How did it feel to win the Green Western Riding? Were you surprised?
Cody: Winning the Green Western Riding this year was truly amazing. I was very surprised, to be honest, because I didn’t expect it. I knew going in that I had a really special horse, but we are both still very green in this class, so to be successful, especially at a place like the Congress was really a blessing.
GoHorseShow: You and your family have had great success in the western pleasure pen. Did you think the western riding would be your first event as a trainer to win at the Congress?
Cody: No, I never imagined that my first win at the Congress as a trainer would be in the western riding. Until this year, I had never even shown in any class other than the western pleasure. I had always been interested in the class because it takes a lot of skill and horsemanship. But, I never thought I would have the opportunity to show such a great horse like Taylor. The class forces you to have complete control of your horse’s body and to do that really requires skill. It’s a challenge every time to alter your techniques to fit each individual horse. Plus, for me, it’s forced me to step out of the box and try something a little different.
GoHorseShow: Tell us about your horse…
Cody: The horse that I showed is named Invest With The Best, or Taylor. He is a six year old gelding by RL Best of Sudden, a stallion my dad had great success with. This year at the Fun in the Sun Extravaganza in Venice, Florida, we made our debut in the western riding – a first for both of us and we actually came away with a win. We were fortunate enough to log wins at futurities like, The Show for Dough, Fun in the Sun Extravaganza and The Little Futurity in Green Western Riding. We were also sixth this year at the NSBA World in the Green.
GoHorseShow: How did it feel to win your first major championship as a trainer?
Cody: It was an amazing feeling to win the Congress for the first time as a trainer. That’s something that has always been a dream of mine. Since I’ve been old enough to walk, this has all I’ve ever wanted to do and to have it pay off gives me confidence that I’m taking steps in the right direction. This Congress Championship was definitely much more rewarding to me than the ones from my youth career (Small Fry and 12-14 Western Pleasure) because of the work that I had to put into Taylor to make it work. As a trainer, when you do all the work and then are fortunate enough to see it all pay off, I think that’s really what it’s about. It is what drives us to do what we do. I respect all of the other trainers so much and to have success showing against them was a dream come true.
GoHorseShow: What are your future goals as a trainer?
Cody: As a trainer, I hope to continue getting better. There are so many great horseman out there, and it is my goal to take little pieces from each one and to strive to become a true horseman myself. You can never stop evolving and learning and that’s one of the things I love about training horses. I would definitely like to continue in the western riding, but I could never fully get away from the western pleasure.
GoHorseShow: What are your future plans with Taylor?
A: Now that the Congress is over, Taylor will be traveling home to Canada for his owner, Debbie Hill to show in the amateur events. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for these two. Not often do we get to experience a special bond with a horse like I have with Taylor. I love that horse so much, and we trust each other unconditionally. While I’ll obviously miss him, I’m so excited to see him move to the next stage. I’m positive that he will make all of Ms. Deb’s dreams come true, just as he has mine.
GoHorseShow: Tell us about working with your mother and father and about the challenges of being a young up-and-coming trainer?
Cody: I absolutely like working with my mom and dad training horses. We get to have the coolest job in the world and the fact that we get to do it as a family makes it even more special. They are always there to give me advice and help me avoid mistakes that they have made. While being a young up-and-coming trainer can be challenging, it’s also very rewarding. When you have to compete with the top trainers, it can be a little discouraging, but being resilient can obviously lead to success.
GoHorseShow: I hear that you are also attending college?
A: Yes, I attend Valdosta State University, and I am working toward a degree in Business Management. I plan to train horses professionally, but I think that having a college degree can be helpful. Not only will it teach you how to successfully run your business, but also if something were to ever happen, and I couldn’t train horses; I have a backup plan.
GoHorseShow: Anything else you would like to say?
Cody: First of all, thank you to the Good Lord, for blessing each of us with the ability and health to do what we love and to tell others about him. There are so many people that I have to thank for helping Taylor and I along the way. All of our customers and friends have been so encouraging to me, and you all know who you are! Obviously, I have to thank Debbie Hill for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to show a once-in-a-lifetime horse. Thanks to my parents and grandparents for all the support and help along the way. Robin Frid, Terry Cross, and Brett Clark have also been instrumental in helping me learn this new discipline. Also, a special thank you to Laura McAllister. Without her, none of this would be possible. She’s been with me every step of the way, helping me earn and pushing me to challenge my own ideas. Thank you for forcing me to keep working at it and for being a true friend.
GoHorseShow: Thanks so much for taking the time to sit down and talk to us. We are very excited for your success!
Cody: Thanks! You’re welcome. Anytime!
Photos courtesy of Candy Parrish
