PRORODEO Sports News - June 1, 2026

2023, Cord McCoy saw an oppor tunity and took it. He reestab lished his hometown rodeo as the Ada Pro Rodeo and joined the PRCA. The idea began to take off right away. “When you have people celebrating with you, it makes your job a lot easier,” Cord McCoy said. “That’s the reason I do this 52 weekends a year, because it’s all about being able to connect the dots and have things like

Ken Lance revitilized the rodeo in Ada, creating new excitement that matched its birth as the Firemen’s Rodeo. Courtesy Ada News

Ken Lance Sports Complex, honoring the rodeo promoter who was a visionary for taking the Firemen’s Rodeo and turning it into something that helped put Ada on the map. “Western Heritage Week was a big deal back then, and it was the biggest deal in my mind, for the community,” Shelton said. “There was a parade that went through town, and back then, get ting to experience the Ken Lance rodeo, and seeing Ken come out there. He had this suit he would put on, and he had a rope that was lit up. He could do roping tricks, and I remember they had a dog that a monkey would ride. “All those things were a big deal to me. It was the biggest deal for our en tire community, year after year.” RETURNING TO ITS GLORY DAYS As more PRCA rodeos began to pop up in Oklahoma and surrounding states, Ada’s popularity fizzled. But in

this happen.” Cord and Jet McCoy have felt the support from the community grow year after year. The event is held inside the renovated Pontotoc County Agri-Plex, which was built around the origi nal concrete grandstands to

An aerial shot of the Ken Lance Sports Arena, where rodeo promoter Ken Lance moved the Ada rodeo to when he took over. Courtesy Ada News

28 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE JUNE 1, 2026