PRORODEO Sports News - July 11, 2025

PASSINGS

NFR BULL RIDER SPUD JONES PASSES AWAY By Zach Alvira

TERRY COOKE

time he saw him. "He had been through so many battles throughout his life, I thought this would be a walk in the park for him," Gurski said. "It was the worst diagnosis we could have thought of. At the time the doctor seemed pretty positive because they quickly removed the bile duct. But it was just too rapid. It was a battle between him and a bad disease. This was the only battle I think he ever lost." Gurski said Cooke was one of-a-kind, a judge that wasn't afraid to offend anybody and score rides accurately. "There are no judges that were as honest and forthcom ing as Terry," Gurski said. "He wouldn't hold back. If he thought you had a bad ride, he would tell you to your face. If he thought you rode great, he would reward you with a good score. You didn't have to guess what he was thinking." Cooke is survived by his wife, Kimeal, and his four daughters. He was preceded in death by his two sons.

F ormer PRCA bull rider Spud Jones, who was the first Navajo bull rider to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in 2008, passed away July 4. He was 36 years old. Spud had been dealing with some medical issues, according to his fam ily. They said he passed away peace fully in his sleep.

Though his passing came as a sur prise to his family, it gave them the opportunity to reflect. “Some of my favorite memories are when we were on the road,” said Spud’s father, J.W. “I did the sched ule for him. We went all over. He just wanted to compete and he always had a smile on his face.”

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