The 817 Podcast

The People Behind Morgan Cromer’s $6 Million Cutting Horse Career Kody Porterfield Morgan Cromer, one of the most respected cutting horse trainers in the industry, joins the 817 podcast to share the people, horses, mentors, and hard-earned lessons behind her $6 million cutting horse career. In this episode, Morgan Cromer opens up about her journey in the cutting horse world, from starting with alm...

From LSU to the Saints: A Louisiana Dream Only God Could Write | Davon Godchaux’s NFL Kody Porterfield From Tiger Stadium to the New Orleans Saints, Davon Godchaux’s journey is a Louisiana dream only God could write... and he did! The LSU standout and 10-year NFL veteran shares how faith, discipline, and maturity helped bring his football story full circle. Davon opens up about growing up in Louis...

The Difference Between Winners and Losers? One More Try. | Shane Carlon's Success Story Kody Porterfield Shane Carlon's story is proof that success isn't built overnight—it's earned through years of hard work, sacrifice, resilience, and refusing to quit when things get tough. From moving to Texas as a teenager and learning under some of the best horsemen in the industry to becoming one of the lead...

I Quit College to Learn From Horse Legends Kody Porterfield Frank Merrill's Incredible Journey of quitting college to learn everything he could from Horse Legends. What would make someone walk away from college with only two semesters left? For Frank Merrill, the answer was simple: he wanted an education that couldn't be found in a classroom. In this episode of The 817 Podcast, Frank shares the st...

The INSANE Mental Pressure of Being a Million-Dollar Horse Vet Kody Porterfield What’s it really like carrying the pressure of million-dollar horses, high-stakes decisions, and the emotional weight of doing what’s best for the horse every single day? This week on the 817 Podcast, Dr. Scott Strosniter joins us for one of the most honest and powerful conversations we’ve had yet. We dive into: The me...

From Firefighter to Horse Trainer… You Won’t Believe This Story Kody Porterfield WOULD YOU WALK AWAY? What would it take for you to leave everything behind… Your career. Your identity. Your security. In this episode of the 817 Podcast, we sit down with a man who did exactly that — walking away from a life as a firefighter to chase something completely different… all while discovering a deeper purp...

This Couple Built an Empire Starting With $150 Rent & Pure Grit Kody Porterfield Michael and Jenny Cooper started with $150 rent… rats in the house… and no real plan for the future. What happened next? A journey built on grit, faith, and relentless work that you can apply in your life today! This is the kind of story that you feel in your bones. In this NEW episode of The 817 Podcast, Kody Porterf...

“I Didn’t Know If I’d Ride Again…” | Lee Francois Testimony Kody Porterfield Lee Francois didn’t just build a $4 million career in the cutting pen…He nearly walked away from it all. After years of grinding, winning, and chasing success at the highest level, burnout hit. Then came the moment that changed everything… he was in a hospital bed, unsure if he’d ever ride again. In this episode of The 81...

What Joey Jingoli Knows About Starting Over That Most People Don’t Kody Porterfield What Joey Jingoli Knows About Starting Over That Most People Don’t: real change takes honesty, surrender, faith, discipline, and the willingness to build a new life one day at a time. In this raw and real episode of the 817 Podcast, Joey Jingoli shares his powerful story of addiction, recovery, faith, business, hor...

What Kenny Platt Knows About Winning That Most People Don’t Kody Porterfield What Kenny Platt Knows About Winning That Most People Don’t: Winning isn’t just talent, skill, and hard work. It’s pressure, failure, discipline, preparation, and the willingness to keep showing up when it gets hard. In this NEW episode of the 817 Podcast, Kenny Platt shares what it really takes to compete at the highest...

He Had 1 Horse, No Trailer… Then Won $7 Million in Cutting Kody Porterfield Paul had one horse… no trailer… and no clear plan. What happened next? 
Over $7 million in winnings, a Hall of Fame career, and a legacy that changed the cutting horse industry forever. In this NEW episode of the 817 Podcast, we sit down with legendary horseman Paul Hansma to unpack the real story behind the success: the s...

He Walked Away From the Arena to Change Lives in Africa | Darren Simpkins Reinvention Story Kody Porterfield Darren Simpkins came to America chasing horses, competition, and the kind of success most people dream about. He made it. But after years at the top of the cutting horse world, another calling started pulling on his life. In this episode of The 817 Podcast, Cody sits down with Darren Simpki...

The Cowboy Who Almost Threw It All Away | Clay Johnson’s Redemption Story #3 Kody Porterfield Clay Johnson was living the wild cowboy life — long nights, bad decisions, and running with a rough crew. The kind of road that usually doesn’t end with a second chance. By his own words, there were years when he was making “every bad decision possible.” In this episode of your new favorite “The 817 Podca...

“Do What’s Best for the Horse.” The Mindset Behind Real Winners Kody Porterfield Do what’s best for the horse at all times, even when it costs you the win. In this episode of the 817 Podcast, Billy Wolf shares the mindset that separates real winners from everyone else: integrity over ego, long-term vision over short-term glory, and building a team that protects the horse at all costs. From selling...

He Bet Everything on One Horse… with Only 12 Months to Pay It Off Kody Porterfield Beau Galyean bet everything on one horse by taking out a loan to buy a cutting horse prospect that would eventually change the world of horse breeding, stallion services, and the NCHA Futurity forever. In this episode of The 817 Podcast, Beau and Ashley Galyean share the full, unfiltered story behind Metallic Cat, t...