For the sixth straight year, Tuf Cooper will be competing on the biggest stage in rodeo.
He is heading to the Thomas & Mack for his 14th career NFR after he finished the regular season with $124,382 in season earnings, which put him seventh in the PRCA World Standings.
Cooper, 32, will likely be feeling fresh as he looks for his fourth PRCA Tie-Down Roping World Championship; he only competed in two rodeos all of September. All told, his 90 attempts were the fewest he has ever had in a non-COVID shortened regular season.
But, as you’re about to read, that’s the benefit of performing well at some of the season’s highest-paying rodeos.
BIGGEST PAYDAYS
San Angelo Rodeo, $20,547
Cooper won two of the big Texas indoor rodeos - San Angelo and San Antonio. All three of Cooper’s times were 8.4 seconds or faster and he split the win with Tyler Milligan with an aggregate time of 23.5 seconds. It was Cooper’s second consecutive win in San Angelo after he claimed the title for the first time in 2021.
San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, $19,500
Cooper took home nearly $20,000 at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo thanks to his performance in the Finals. Throughout the rodeo, he collected smaller checks, but when the stage was biggest, he had his best showing. He went 7.2 seconds in the Finals, his fastest run of the rodeo, to win the winner-take-all round and a check for $15,000.
Calgary Stampede, $17,500
Cooper had a strong showing at the Calgary Stampede, placing first or second in the first three rounds. His best time was a 7.1-second run which was good for second place in the Second Round. Every qualified time of the rodeo for Cooper was between 7.1 and 7.3 seconds.
FASTEST RUNS
Snake River Stampede, 6.5 Seconds
Cooper’s fastest time of the season was also the fastest in the PRCA. It came at the Snake River Stampede and run the round by three tenths of a seconds over Kyle Lucas, who had a strong time of 6.8 seconds. The run earned Cooper over $4,000.
NOTABLE WINS
Texas Circuit Finals, 23.0 Seconds on Three
After an 8.2-second run in Round 1 wasn’t good enough to go the pay window, Cooper set the tone with a 6.6-second run in Round 2 and would go on to win the Texas Circuit Finals with a time of 23.0 seconds flat on three. Fellow World Champions Shane Hanchey and Marcos Costa were second and third.
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