ProRodeo Sports News - Sept. 4, 2020

Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., in the spring, won 16 rounds on Pearl at the National Finals Rodeo. Miller had Pearl, Jewel and Big Powdie Bars, a horse line bred by Big As I Am, in his stable before selling all three last fall. He sold Jewel and Powdie to Brazilians Fran Miranda (Paddock Ranch) and Caco Auricchio (Fazenda Sapucaia). Pearl was purchased by Gilmar Garcia, Miranda and Auricchio. “The more horses that do well out there the better it is for our business,” Miller said. Rather than see the talent of Jewel and Powdie not being used on the PRCA trail, four-time world champion Tuf Cooper got into the broker business with the new owners. Cooper called his friend Dr. Flavio Ribeiro to see if he could strike a deal. Cooper was aware of the bloodlines – he won two gold buckles riding Topaz. Ribeiro has been in America for 18 years. He was a research scientist at Prairie View (Texas) A&MUniversity for 10 years. He recently became a nutritionist for a feed additive company. “I met all these people because I lived with Barry and Blair Burk,” Ribeiro said. “I came to the U.S. to rope in 1999 and for a roping school put on by Barry Burk. I tore my ACL, and I went back to Brazil and got it fixed. “In 2000, I came back and lived with Barry for six months, and that’s how I met all these rodeo guys and rope horse trainers. That’s why when these people want to buy horses that are involved in roping , a lot of the times they come through me because I have a personal relationship with most of the horse trainers and rodeo guys.” Ribeiro, who has known Cooper for 20 years, was glad to answer his friend’s call. “Tuf called me and asked if they would lease (horses) to me, and I said they might,” Ribeiro said. “I called them, and we made an agreement with Tuf that Tuf was going to ride Jewel in 2020. Then right after The American (in March), Tuf asked about leasing Powdie. Now, Tuf leases both mares, Powdie and Jewel. It’s a lot of fun for me to help these guys from Brazil to be able to buy these horses. I truly enjoy doing this.”

Ribeiro explained why Brazilians like the lineage of Big As I Am so much. “There used to be a horse in Brazil named El Zorrero,” Ribeiro said. “El Zorrero was the best stallion in Brazil for a long, long time. Brazilians love El Zorrero. Big As I Am is a grandson to Otoe. Otoe is one of the foundation quarter horses in Brazil. Brazilian people breed a lot of rope horses. In the U.S., we use cutting horses, cow horses, all kind of horses to rope, and in the U.S. the rope (horse) breeding business is not as big as it is in Brazil.” That’s why Ribeiro said the deal with Cooper was so appealing. “The opportunity to have Tuf Cooper, four-time world champion, son of (ProRodeo Hall of Famer) Roy Cooper and brother-in-law to Trevor Brazile (25-time PRCA world champion) to ride your mares and potentially ride them at the NFR is a tremendous marketing opportunity for you to sell the babies,” Ribeiro said. Cooper started riding Jewel in January at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver. “She has done well, and I’ve been riding her for most of the year,” Cooper said. “I rode her half the time at San Antonio, and I’ve been riding her all summer.” Cooper was leading the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings in the all- around as of Sept. 1 and was second in the tie-down roping standings and seventh in the steer roping standings. “When I found out Jewel and Powdie had been sold I was like, man, we can’t just let these horses be broodmares,” Cooper said. “I asked about using Jewel, and Flavio put the deal together. I also got Powdie, and the deal has been good for everybody. I really get along with Jewel because she’s so similar to Topaz it’s like nothing really changed. “Powdie is a little bit younger, and I’ll start riding her a little bit at the end of the year and hopefully next year. I’m really excited to ride her because she’s going to be really good. Trevor (Brazile) has been riding her at the house, getting her revved up for me. This (leasing) situation has been a great situation.”

Photo courtesy Dr. Flavio Ribeiro From left, Dr. Flavio Ribeiro, Caco Auricchio (owner of Fazenda Sapucaia in Brazil), Sid Miller (Sid Miller Horses) and Gilmar Garcia.

ProRodeo Sports News 9/4/2020

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