Cooper Cooke put up an 88-point ride in Round 1 of Pool B to set a pace at the greatest outdoor show on Earth that would carry him to his first-ever Calgary Stampede title.
The Idaho cowboy pulled a check in all three go-rounds and earned $14,000 to be the No. 1 bareback rider in his pool, advancing to Championship Sunday. There, Cooke’s 90.5 on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s True Grit won the Semifinals, but he was not done yet.
The heat was on when Cooke, Weston Timberman, and reigning World Champion Dean Thompson went head to head in the Showdown Round. Cooke’s pick of the draw was none other than Calgary Stampede’s Disco Party.
“Oh my gosh, I’ve been coming to this rodeo for about three years now, and I knew my day was going to come. And I’m happy I won it on ol’ Disco Party,” Cooke said.
The 94-pointer got the win by two points over Timberman. Cooke now sits No. 7 in the PRCA World Standings after adding a total of $64,000 to his name in Canada.