| Hours and
Hours, Miles and Miles with Cody Parrish |
 Three ponies circled in and out of a group of trees at the
Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma this past June at the
Redbud Circuit. People passing by would stop to watch as the three boys, the
oldest being only 6 years old, endlessly maneuvered their ponies in circles and
around trees. This had to be Cody Parrish, all the way from Pavo, Georgia, with
a new group of ponies to market at the show. His reputation preceded
him.When I caught up with him to ask about possibly buying one of his ponies for a friend of mine, the pony was already  sold and it was only the first day of the show! So, instead I
consoled myself with his wonderful story. Cody, who is all of 6 years old, is
in a "partnership" with his brother, Chase, who is now 3. He began buying
ponies when he was 4. He and his father, Brett Parrish, gather up ponies ten at
a time. The ponies are bought privately through the newspaper or
advertisements, not at sales. When asked how Cody decided whether the pony was
one to purchase or not, he told me that if he could ride the pony bareback with
a halter, it is one to buy. Then, Cody's work starts. He begins by grooming all
the ponies in the morning, and the rideing begins. His training program
consists of a lot of time in the saddle with each pony. When asked what he
thought the key to his success was, he relied in the most sincere and polite
manner, "Hours and hours, miles and miles."  As the
ponies become more broke, the time nears to sell them. This is where Chase
comes in. The ponies have to pass a test before Cody represents the ponies as
safe. If Chase, who is only 3 years old, can ride the pony, then it is time to
sell. And sell he does! The various ponies travel the show circuit to be
marketed and rearely do they haul any home. There is only one pony who is not
for sale and that is Cody's first pony named "Bear". Cody has branched out in
the business and has taken several ponies in to train for different customers.
All of this and he is only 6 years old!Not only does Cody stay busy with his training business, he plays baseball as well and will show Lopin At Last for the first time at the Tom Powers Futurity in  June in the Small Fry Western Pleasure to begin his show career.
Cody's parents, Brett and Candy Parrish, own the great Western Pleasure
stallion Sweet Talkin Chip, as well as Brett being one of the top Western
Pleasure trainers in the country. So you can see, Cody comes by his ability
naturally.So, if you are at a show and see a gathering of ponies and kids, chances are it will be Cody with another group of ponies to market. Stop and talk to him, his story is amazing. If you are looking for a pony or have any questions, you reach Cody at his home as follows: Cody Parrish · P.O. Box 226 · Pavo, Georgia 31778 · 229-859-2638 |
