ProRodeo Sports News - April 3, 2020

AWAY FROM THE ARENA

Cooper makes most of downtime Keeping Busy PRCA ProRodeo photos by Steve Gray Above, four-time world champ Tuf Cooper has a moment to himself during the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. At right, Cooper competes during the Wrangler NFR in Las Vegas.

BY TRACY RENCK F our-time world champion Tuf Cooper is using the downtime in his rodeo schedule to take care of things he usually can’t get to. With PRCA rodeos at a standstill due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Cooper’s priorities have shifted. “We have everything going on in the world, and for me it is causing me to do the things that I’ve been putting to the side, whether they’re projects, conversations or working on things within,” Cooper said. “I think that is a cool thing. It is forcing yourself to pick those things up that you have shelved for a while. I want to use this time to improve on the things I need to get better at.” Cooper, who won three tie-down roping world championships (2011- 12 and 2014) and one all-around world title (2017), is also trying to make the most of a difficult situation. “I think we just have to find the good in things,” said Cooper, who lives in Decatur, Texas. “I’m an optimist. I’ve always been that way and it is important to be that way in times like these. We are locked down and unaware. That’s

basically how the cowboy lives, locked down to his duties and unaware of what the future holds, and we just try as hard as we can every day.” Horse training is one project Cooper has focused on. “I have a young, 5-year-old horse, and I’ve been able to spend a lot more time on him,” he said. “I’ve never had time to ride young horses. It has been a lot of fun. I have been going down to Trevor (Brazile’s) house every day, and he’s been helping me with how to train (a horse). It’s the first time ever I’ve been able to focus on the training part of the horses. That’s something I’ve needed to learn my whole life. I have a good mentor in Trevor, and it has been great to learn from him. I’m very fortunate to be in the position I am.” Brazile, Cooper’s brother-in-law, has won a PRCA-record 25 world championships. “When I was like 12 years old, I saw the opportunity I had with Trevor, my dad (Roy) and my brothers and what all I could learn from those guys,” Cooper said. “I saw how fortunate I was to have my family around me that I did, and that’s when I decided to go all-in with rodeo.”

ProRodeo Sports News 4/3/2020

ProRodeo.com

30