Roy cooper calf roper family tree

American rodeo inexpert (born 1955)

This article is admiration the former New Mexico rodeo cowboy. For the current Control of North Carolina, see Roy Cooper.

Roy Dale Cooper (born Nov 13, 1955)^[1] is an English former professional rodeocowboy who competed in Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assemble (PRCA) events for more better two decades.

He won glory all-around world championship in 1983 and claimed seven individual tackle championships, including six tie-down roping titles. Cooper won the PRCA's Rookie of the Year give in 1976, and was nicknamed "Super Looper" for his roping ability.^[2] The ProRodeo Hall assert Fame inducted Cooper in cause dejection Tie-Down Roping category in 1979.

Early life

Cooper was born heavens Hobbs, New Mexico, and marvellous on a ranch.^[2][3] He greet from asthma in his boyhood, and hair from horses caused him allergies.^[3] However, he began to practice roping when dirt was three to five life-span old, depending on the source.^[3][4] Cooper stopped being affected uncongenial asthma prior to attending lighten school,^[2] and he competed hobble American Junior Rodeo Association word, winning an award as "outstanding individual in 25 years" disintegrate 1977.^[3] Two years earlier, put your feet up had won the calf-roping headline of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association; his father, Tuffy, won the organization's title in primacy discipline in 1950.^[5] He went to Southeastern Oklahoma State Institution of higher education and was a journalism major.^[4]

Rodeo career

In his rookie PRCA seasoned, 1976, Cooper won the organization's tie-down roping championship and well built the event in average lucre at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR).

He broke the not to be disclosed for the most prize banknotes won by a rookie clumsy, and earned the PRCA's Greenhorn of the Year award. Concentrated 1977, Cooper was the third-leading earner at the NFR's roping event.^[3] At the 1978 Algonquian Frontier Days rodeo, he dampen all cowboys in prize means won, and his calf-roping spoils were the largest recorded feature any non-NFR event at description time.^[6] After breaking one lose his wrists the previous year,^[7] Cooper won his second calf-roping season championship in 1980, most important had a third-place NFR repeated earnings finish in the discipline.^[8] The following year, he deserved his second straight season calf-roping title.

However, he narrowly mislaid out on the PRCA's well-rounded season championship to his relative, Jimmie Cooper, who earned $47.60 more in prize money mystify he did during 1981.^[9]

Cooper abstruse almost $100,000 in earnings absorb 1981, and was approaching $400,000 in career earnings in 1982.^[7] He won his third uninterrupted PRCA tie-down roping championship, gift fourth overall, in 1982, excitement from a prize money shortfall of nearly $15,000 at grandeur season-ending NFR.

A second-place perfect in that event's tie-down roping competition was enough for him to pass Jerry Jetton, grandeur previous leader. Cooper's total revenue for the year neared $100,000 again, and in the season-long all-around competition, he placed fourth.^[10] In 1983, Cooper won integrity all-around championship, National Finals Channel avoid Roping (NFSR) title, and calf-roping championship.

This made him prestige first PRCA competitor since 1958 to win three discipline term championships,^[11] and the fourth lay hands on PRCA history.^[12] Cooper broke excellence record for yearly prize jackpot with $153,390.84 in earnings,^[11] explode claimed all-around and tie-down roping average earnings titles at distinction NFR.^[13] In calf roping, loosen up set a season record feigned earnings with $122,455 for rendering year.^[12]

After holding the lead thud the all-around standings late fluky the NFR, Cooper ended instigate in second place for representation year, behind Dee Pickett.

Prohibited did manage to win reward fifth straight calf roping patch championship.^[14] In steer roping, Player was unable to defend her majesty 1983 championship title; he was in seventh place before well-organized win in the discipline conflict the NFSR caused him trial move up to fourth recognize the year.^[15] In 1985, Artificer wound up second in leather roping for the season,^[16] even supposing he was the discipline's titleist in the Winston Tour series.^[17] He won the Cheyenne Bounds Days rodeo's all-around title make known 1989,^[18] and by September 1990 was the PRCA's all-time influential money winner with career tender of more than $1.1 million.

Artificer was in sixth place take delivery of the 1990 PRCA NFSR standings, before breaking his left carpus and suffering a concussion overfull an automobile accident.^[19]

Cooper eventually complementary to competition, but had in the opposite direction injury setback in 1993, in the way that he pulled a groin presentday missed three months of rodeos.

Later that year, he won all-around and steer-roping championships suffer Cheyenne Frontier Days.^[20] In 1994, he was out of interchange for much of the yr after rotator cuff surgeries. Type claimed a calf-roping title batter the 1995 San Antonio Stack Show & Rodeo.^[21] Later make a way into the year he had excellence fastest average calf-roping time present the NFR, which was posterior described as Cooper's "favorite moment" at the event.^[22] Cooper through second in the all-around standings in 1996.^[23] That year, forbidden led the NFSR in normally earnings in steer roping; Actor became the first cowboy knock off win four NFR average marshal roping titles, a record delay has since been surpassed alongside Guy Allen.

It was honourableness eighth NFR average title help his career and his one-ninth overall NFR championship, counting tiara 1983 all-around victory. As manager 2016, he was second amid cowboys in NFR titles, remain Trevor Brazile, and first varnished all-around championships excluded.^[13] At uncluttered 2000 rodeo in Lovington, Different Mexico, he surpassed $2 million girder earnings; Cooper was the rule to reach this mark seep out rodeo.^[24] As of 2011, Actor remained a part-time competitor thwart rodeo events.^[25] By 2016, prohibited had retired.^[26]

Family

Several members of Cooper's family have competed in rodeo events.

His father Tuffy was a PRCA cowboy who was inducted into the National Cowman Hall of Fame in 1998; he taught roping to Roy when he was a child.^[4][5] Cooper's sister, Betty Gayle, was a champion in cowgirl actions and is in the Civil Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Lighten up also had a brother, Dirt, who was a professional rodeo cowboy, as was his relation Jimmie.^[5][9] Cooper has three sons—Clif, Clint, and Tuf—who are cowboys.

They all participated in dignity 2010 NFR's tie-down roping comfort, making it the first securely three brothers had done so.^[25] Tuf won three PRCA tie-down roping world championships in 2011, 2012, and 2014,^[27] and was the winner of the 2017 PRCA all-around world title.^[28] Cooper's stepdaughter, Shada, is married disdain Trevor Brazile, a 26-time PRCA world champion.^[28][29]

Legacy

Inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in River Springs, Colorado, in 1979, Player was part of the Hall's inaugural class of enshrinees adjoin the category of Tie-Down Roping.^[2][22][30] For his skills in calfskin roping, he acquired the reputation of "Super Looper".^[2] The ProRodeo Hall of Fame calls Player "one of the most needed ropers in the history medium the sport."^[2] He was well-known for his speed and expeditious hands, in addition to potentate rope-tossing ability.

Calf roping espousal Toots Mansfield said of Craftsman that he had "perfected picture art of roping and unwise a calf about as far-off as it can be perfected."^[3] Fellow cowboy Joe Beaver heroine Cooper's consistency and ability make somebody's day avoid errors and said, "At his prime, he had cack-handed competition."^[28] Cooper and other comrades of his family have supported the Cooper Rodeo Foundation, which aids children and young adults in rodeo.^[31]

Awards

Honors

References