A Sporting Chance

Story by Melanie Jones

Cody Roberson answered the call to duty. A decorated veteran with multiple tours in combat, he retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel before working for the Department of Defense for two years.

In all, he served his country for 25 years, and then he kept going. Now, he serves veterans and active-duty military members and their families by keeping them outdoors and active, whether it’s on the lake at a fishing tournament or hunting on a ranch. He finds healing in the great outdoors and sees that it also works for others. “It’s in my core to help veterans, and I enjoy it a lot,” Cody says.

In late 2005, while an active-duty captain, Cody founded ArmyBassAnglers, which supports veterans, charity fishing tournaments, indoor fishing tanks for kids and five military nonprofits across the country. After leading that organization for 17 years, he still serves as executive director or board member for several of those nonprofits.

But Cody’s role that now takes center stage is executive director of the board of directors for Patriot Sporting Challenge. The organization raises money for veterans’ charities, including Heroes Ranch in Quitman––the only purely adaptive hunting ranch in the country.

Patriot Sporting Challenge started seven years ago with a three-event lineup of a golf tournament, clay shooting and fishing. “Then, over time, it has evolved,” Cody says. First shooting went away, then casino night was added, then fishing went away and the casino night expanded.

Since its start, Patriot Sporting Challenge has donated $832,805 to veterans’ and first responders’ charities, including Heroes Ranch, Folds of Honor, They Got Your 6, Camp Agape and others. “A significant portion of those funds all stay inside Texas, and then significantly inside of East Texas through Heroes Ranch,” Cody says.

Cody says that as an adaptive hunting facility, Heroes Ranch meets the individual needs of veterans or first responders who require significant assistance, whether that means a tracked vehicle or other specialized equipment. Tracked vehicles can cost between $30,000 and $50,000 apiece. “It’s all provided out there,” Cody says. The adaptive equipment gives those who are injured or have special circumstances the ability to hunt.

“They wouldn’t get to go and do that on any other ranch. Most ranches just don’t have that kind of equipment or that capability or guides that are trained to handle those types of situations,” Cody says. “It’s a five-star ranch, and they’re just treated phenomenally.” Cody has seen the effects of the charities Patriot Sporting Challenge supports firsthand. His children received college scholarships from Folds of Honor, “much like other veterans across the country,” he says.

Then there are the experiences at Heroes Ranch. “I’ve seen all the different veterans we’ve worked with that have come out there and get to experience their trophy hunt or catch a trophy bass. I’ve seen all the smiles on their faces,” Cody says. “Just watching somebody go from almost depression-level to elated, excited. It’s almost a 180-degree turn in personality and demeanor in such a short period of time because they were outdoors. You know, Mother Nature has a strange way of doing what we can’t do with medication and doctors.”

Cody says he loves to see the families come back after their loved one has been at the ranch for two or three days. “They’re just telling you all these stories, like, ‘I don’t know who this is. It’s a totally different person. It’s my old husband or my old spouse,’ but they’ve come back to them,” he says. “It’s just a really neat experience to watch that happen. They just break down and cry, and all of these emotions roll out. It’s just the healing process that happens in story after story.”

The experience and memories aren’t the only things the veterans take home from Heroes Ranch. “They get this huge, beautiful buck that they get to take home with them that’s mounted. Everything’s taken care of for them,” Cody says.

This year’s Patriot Sporting Challenge includes the golf tournament that transitions into casino night. The expected 250 to 350 participants will start their day with registration at 8 a.m. May 31 at Links at Land’s End golf club. As soon as the tournament is over, event participants will head to the Neon Moon for games and prizes. Registration is open now at patriotsportingchallenge.org.