ProRodeo Sports News - April 30, 2021

New horse helps Cooper win more than $20K Bro-mance BY KEVIN CARMODY Special to ProRodeo Sports News T uf Cooper has two brothers, Clint and Clif. Most rodeo fans and competitors know that. Tuf Cooper also has a Bro. After the three-time world champion tie-down roper and his new, TOP MONEY WINNER Tuf Cooper, tie-down roping ($20,217) ALL-AROUND WINNERS TOP SCORES Cooper

9-year-old, light-gray gelding teamed up to dominate the San Angelo (Texas) Rodeo, April 9-23, and pocket $20,217, it’s just a matter of time before his four-legged companion is perhaps just as well-known as his actual brothers. “Yes, you’ll see us at all the big ones from here on out,” said Cooper, who took the three-head average crown in 25.3 seconds – 1.2 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor – after placing in all three rounds, including a first- round win. “He fits me like a glove, and he complements everything I like to do with my roping. We fit together perfectly. That’s why I’ve been calling him Bro.” Just days after making the switch at last year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Cooper and Bro – trained and previously owned by fellow roper and four-time NFR qualifier Cade Swor, who actually named him Blanco – perhaps gave a sneak peek to their potential greatness by combining to win Round 9 at Globe Life Field in a scorching time of 6.9 seconds. Heading into March, however, Cooper, of Decatur, Texas, was nowhere to be found among the top cowboys in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. That all started to change over consecutive weekends in March after Cooper placed second in the final round of The American (Arlington, Texas) for a total haul of $26,000, then followed that by claiming the crown and $7,055 at the 93rd Annual Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo the next weekend. Then, in a two-week span the next month, Cooper and Bro stole the show at the Red Bluff (Calif.) Round-Up, April 16-18, placing in three of the four rounds and winning the average and $8,221. They carried that momentum back to San Angelo – staged in front of full-capacity crowds – to finish what they started. “I was 7.3 on the first one and made a really good run,” Cooper said. “Then we came back in the second with a good calf, and the plan was to do my job and make a professional run and was 8.1 on that one. I had the advantage of roping last in the short-go, and I knew what I needed to do and was mindful of the situation.” Cooper roped and tied his final-round calf in 9.9 seconds, good for second place. Heading into May, Cooper suddenly sits No. 1 in the world standings with $70,066 earned. He’s also second in the world all-around standings thanks to the hot stretch in March and April. “I’m very fortunate to have what I have collected right now, and everything has to be working together,” he said. “I just want to keep rolling.” Cooper’s run-in with Bro is nothing short of what some might call a happy accident. “It was part of God’s plan,” Cooper said. “A few days before the NFR, Cade stopped by the house and had his horse. He wanted me to run one so he could see him go. I roped on him, and he was amazing. I later was having troubles at the NFR with my two horses and started riding Bro halfway through and I have been riding him ever since. I’ve found that if you can click together, that’s the most important thing. That’s what we have.”

Clint Robinson and Tanner Green ($4,969 each, tie-down roping, team roping) BAREBACK RIDING

1. Caleb Bennett ............ 175.5 pts on 2 2. Garrett Shadbolt . ........................ 175 3. Shane O’Connell . ..................... 174.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Cade Staton . .............. 11.8 sec. on 3 2. Taz Olson .................................. 11.9 3. Trell Etbauer .............................. 12.0 TEAM ROPING 1. C. Tryan/J. Long . ........ 12.8 sec. on 3 2. A. Tsinigine/K. Lockett ............... 13.3 3. C. Snow/W. Thorp ..................... 13.8 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Chet Johnson ............... 171 pts on 2 2. (tie) Sage Newman ..................... 170 Dawson Hay ............................... 170 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Tuf Cooper ................. 25.3 sec. on 3 2. Cooper Martin ........................... 26.6 3. Jake Booze ................................ 26.8 BARREL RACING 1. Wenda Johnson ....... 44.01 sec. on 3 2. Dona Kay Rule ......................... 44.15 3. Carly Taylor ............................. 44.29 BULL RIDING 1. Trey Benton III ................... 171 on 2 2. Sage Kimzey ............................... 168 3. Laramie Mosley . .................. 89 on 1

Ric Andersen photo Tie-down roper Tuf Cooper competes during the San Angelo (Texas) Rodeo. Cooper won the rodeo and earned $20,217.

Complete results/Page 40

ProRodeo Sports News 4/30/2021

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