PRORODEO Sports News - March 7, 2025

TUF COOPER HONORS LATE GRANDMOTHER IN SAN ANTONIO WIN

By Zach Alvira

T here was plenty weighing on the mind of Tuf Cooper Saturday, Feb. 22, when he was preparing to compete in the tie-down roping fi nals at the San Antonio (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo. The 35-year-old Decatur, Texas, native had just lost his grandmother, Judy Smith, the night before. She was 91 years old. It was an emotional time, and one that for a moment took his attention away from San Antonio, as he made the 6-hour drive to and from Chil dress to be with family the night of her passing. But a simple request from his grand father helped him regain focus. “My grandpa Friday night, while we were bedside, he said, ‘Hey, you go get that buckle,’” Cooper said. “When he put me on that mission it made my job a lot easier. It was the best mis sion I’ve ever been on.” Cooper completed the mission, win ning the tie-down roping title in San Antonio with a run of 7.2 seconds. He earned $15,252 as a result. But the buckle and honoring his grandmother – known to his family as Meme – just 24 hours after her passing was the ultimate prize. “Luckily for me on Saturday, I had my Meme there helping me get through the run,” Cooper said. “The proudest

Tuf Cooper’s final run of 7.2 seconds helped him earn the tie down roping belt buckle at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas.

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