ProRodeo Sports News - June 23, 2023

COWBOY CHRISTMAS PREVIEW

Cowboys prepare for critical upcoming stretch Lucrative Run PRCA Pro Rodeo photo by Hailey Rae World champion tie-down roper Tuf Cooper has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 14 times and his NFR push has been boosted by strong Cowboy Christmas runs. He earned a career-best $31,255 during the 2021 Cowboy Christmas run.

BY JOLEE JORDAN Special to ProRodeo Sports News P Imagine if the major winter stock shows with all their huge purses – Denver, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston, Austin, and San Angelo – all happened in the same week. That’s almost what the Fourth of July is like for ProRodeo cowboys and cowgirls. Little wonder it’s called “Cowboy Christmas” and finds contestants driving all night for days in a row to try to earn the biggest chunk of the huge amount of prize money available. World champion tie-down ropers Tuf Cooper and Shane Hanchey both know the feeling of rising to the top of the heap as the high-money winner over the Fourth. Cooper was the high-money winner amongst all competitors in 2021 when he won $31,255. “You definitely need to be on a roll, and you have to win first a

lot,” said Cooper, 33. “There’s so much opportunity – the key thing is to stay positive. You can’t let anything negative that happens transfer over to the next run. “You have to forget and refocus because you’re going to wake up in a new parking lot every day with a chance to win $10,000.” Cooper is a new dad, baby girl Tru Fashion is nine months old, and his Fourth of July strategy incorporates his new hauling buddy. “We’re not going to too many,” he said, citing about seven possible stops. “One or two days away is OK but I don’t want to be away from my family any longer than that.” Proving she fits in her Hall of Fame family, Tru is already a rodeo fan. “She loves it, she comes with me when we go check the draw,” Cooper gushed. “It’s so cool in rodeo that you can take your family with you like this.” Hanchey set what was then the record for single-event earnings at

ProRodeo Sports News 6/23/2023

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