Todd and Leslie Pierce’s story didn’t begin with a ministry. It began on the rodeo trail. In 1995, they were young Christians pursuing a world championship in bareback riding. Over the next several years, Todd experienced success in competition, but both of them began to recognize something deeper happening along the way.


They were falling in love with the people around them. Athletes. Families. Fans. People who were often carrying more than anyone could see.


At first, they didn’t think of it as ministry. They simply cared. They wanted to pour faith, hope, and love into the people God had placed in front of them.


Over time, Todd and Leslie began to realize rodeo was more than a sport or career. It had become a platform for what they truly loved: helping people encounter the Kingdom of Jesus in a real way.


In 2002, everything shifted. Todd suffered a knee injury at the Calgary Stampede. What was expected to be a four-month recovery turned into a much longer season after complications from surgery. Suddenly, Todd was not only facing the loss of competition, but the uncertainty of providing for his family and the fear that he had lost the only platform he had to reach people.

He remembers crying out to Jesus, asking why He would give him such a deep burden for people and then make it feel impossible to reach them.

Then a phone call came. ...

Cody Custer, a close friend, invited Todd to fly to Portland and speak to a group of PBR athletes and fans. Todd had done very little public speaking, but he said yes because of the relationship.

That weekend, something became clear. Todd did not have to be competing to have a voice.

Soon after, Cody invited both Todd and Leslie to come to another event in California. One invitation turned into another. Within a few weeks, they knew this was what God had been preparing them for all along.

Since then, Todd and Leslie have traveled around the world, encouraging hundreds of thousands of people with the reality of the Kingdom of Jesus.

Today, Riding High Ministries is entering a focused season of communicating the heart of God through working with horses and calling men into a life of strength, clarity, responsibility, and purpose.

Todd’s gift with horses creates a powerful picture of how God leads, heals, restores, and invites us into trust. Leslie’s faithfulness, partnership, and shared burden for people have helped shape the ministry from the beginning.

What you see today is the fruit of a family saying yes—years of obedience, unexpected turns, open doors, and a shared willingness to follow wherever God leads.