The perfect team — one in Christ, training, and life.
Cory & Leslie Young
Cory grew up around horses near Belton, Missouri, a town just south of Kansas City, Missouri. Cory’s childhood experience in rodeo and rural lifestyle included being involved in 4-H, training horses, giving horseback riding lessons, participating in the Rodeo Kids, and performing trick riding in various professional and youth rodeos throughout the Midwest. The Lord used Cory’s desire to improve his trick riding ability to lead him to attend the Pikes Peak Rodeo Bible Camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1997. It was during the first night of this camp that Cory first heard the Gospel and placed his faith in Christ.
Leslie was born in Austin, Texas. She was raised in a rural setting and with an appreciation of the Western American culture. Leslie put her faith in Christ when she was thirteen. She grew in her spiritual life as her family moved about the country (which included living in Texas, Colorado, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and eventually Iowa).
Both Cory and Leslie were students at Calvary Bible College in Kansas City, Missouri where they met after Cory had given a testimony about his summer ministry to Rodeo Bible Camps. Leslie was amazed that there was a ministry that worked specifically with Rodeo and people who enjoyed the Western lifestyle. Cory was impressed that Leslie had a desire to reach out to Western culture. Their relationship sparked after that day and they were eventually married in August of 2003.
Both Cory and Leslie have felt a leading from the Lord to reach out to the rodeo and rural community. On May 15th, 2005, Cory and Leslie received confirmation of that leading from the Lord when their home church, Pleasant Prairie Baptist Church, set them apart as the church’s Missionaries to Rodeo and Rural America.
The Long Ride...
We have had the opportunity to share God's Word and the precious Gospel of Christ at some of the largest rodeos and some of the smallest rodeos in United States...and really everything in between. Along with that, Cory has had the opportunity to serve at over one hundred Rodeo Bible Camps as either Camp Pastor or Instructor. We've also had the great opportunity to visit some of the greatest country churches in the midwest.
With his vast ministries at rodeos, Rodeo Bible Camps and other Western events, Cory has become one of the most experienced Cowboy Chaplains in the country and looks forward to serving the cowboy community for many more years to come!
Highlights of the places we've served:
National High School Finals Rodeo - Chaplain and ministry organizer since 2005.
National Junior High Finals Rodeo - Chaplain and ministry organizer since 2005.
National Finals Rodeo (Las Vegas, NV) - For thirteen years we organized nightly fellowships, outreach services and a trade show booth.
National Western Stock Show (Denver, CO) - For eight years we organized all ministries for the National Western and served as a chaplain.
Houston Livestock Show - For eight years we organized all ministries for RodeoHouston and served as a chaplain.
National Little Britches Finals Rodeo - For four years we organized all ministries for the NLBFR and served as a chaplain.
