A Ride Worth Taking: Fallon Rallies for Cody Smith at Benefit Playday and Clinic

The Fifty Horse Ranch outside Fallon hosted a day of horse workshops and games to benefit a local cowgirl who is battling a rare brain-stem tumor.

Clinician Vernon Lawrence, owner of Lawrence Performance Horses, put on a Ranch Riding clinic at the Fifty Horse Ranch. He was approached by Kirk Ferris and James Dexter, the owner of Fifty Horse Ranch, to hold the clinic for a good cause. The cause was a benefit play day, with proceeds going to Cody Smith, who is battling a rare, life-threatening condition.

This fundraising event brought together Kirk, James, and Monica Fairbanks, with James providing the facilities, Kirk leading the equine activities, including a Ranch Riding clinic, a reining seminar with Jenny Sherbo, and other horse-riding events, and Monica organizing vendors, food and drink trucks, and the silent auction and raffle. 

“It was definitely their vision, and I came in to help make it bigger,” said Monica, who helped expand the event.

A chance meeting by an organizer also brought in professional entertainment for the benefit. Levi Coby is a Christian and country singer-songwriter; just when Levi and his wife were looking to buy a newer car, an ad appeared online. That search led Levi to the team organizing the benefit. When he bought a car from Kirk’s parents, they mentioned the fundraiser Kirk was organizing for Cody. 

“I was ‘in’ the moment I found out she was a young lady dealing with some extremely serious health issues,” Levi said. Kirk and James were starting to put together ideas for the benefit when Levi offered to be a part of it.

 “God puts you where you are supposed to be.” For him, it was purchasing a vehicle that forged the connection—which led to the fundraiser.

He wrote ‘#Cody Strong,’ which he plans to record in Nashville in hopes it goes viral, with proceeds to support Cody’s care and treatment.

With the combined efforts of James, Kirk, Monica, Levi, and everyone who attended, the event raised more than $10,000.

For more information, or to support Cody, please visit gofundme.com and search Help Cody Smith Treat Her Inoperable Brain Tumor.