A Smithers teenager is dressing up as 150 Mile House area C+ Rodeos bullfighter Cody Call for Halloween.
Hans Best, 18, met Cody at the Smithers Fall Fair rodeo in August and the 24-year-old made a lasting impression.
Lissa Bradley, Hans’ mom, said her son has many special needs including Cohen Syndrome, Autism and metabolic disease.
Her son adores rodeo, she added.
“Even though he cannot read, he can remember almost all the bull riders and bull fighters from the NFR and PBR circuits so the fall fair here in Smithers is the highlight of my son’s year.”
Lissa said Hans waits every day leading up to the fair to watch C+Plus Rodeo unload the stock.
The family even skips the parade to watch the Calls and crew working with the horses and bulls.
“This year we saw Cody get into a tussle with one of the bulls during the bull riding event so when the rodeo event was done we went back to ask if he was OK and that’s how we met Cody,” Lissa said.
As a mom, it was touching to see Cody’s friendliness toward Hans, she noted.
“He got in the bull pen and told my son the bulls’ names and then talked to him for a while.”
On Saturday at the fair, Cody, Jace Myers and Wendell Williams were the bullfighters.
Cody was wearing a pink jersey for the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign that raises awareness about breast cancer.
Hans also wore pink that day and went around gathering about 30 signatures on his shirt from all the cowboys.
That evening after the rodeo, Cody checked in with Unity, the Williams Lake First Nation Cannabis retail company that sponsored his pink jersey, and asked if it would be be OK to give his jersey to Hans if he showed up the next day.
“Unity was thrilled with the idea of being involved with something so cool,” Cody said. “The next day, true to their word, they [the Bradleys] showed up to support the rodeo and the fair and all it had to offer.”
Cody said because the Bradleys held up their end of the deal and then some by being such enthusiastic fans, the least he could do was hold up his end of the deal.
Before giving Hans the jersey, Cody, Jace and Wendell signed it.
Bradley said because the children could dress up for school on Friday, Oct. 29, Hans said ‘mom, I’ll dress up as Cody.’”
She noted Hans even wanted to have Cody at his birthday, which was Oct. 4.
Hearing about the Halloween costume was a nice, Cody added.
“Dad said they called and left a nice note, thanking me again. It was a pretty cool experience for all parties involved.”
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monica.lamb-yorski@wltribune.com
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