ProRodeo Sports News - November 16, 2018

DECEMBER 6-15 LAS VEGAS

Cooper leads All-Around standings Still Tuf BY MATT NABER T here’s only $5,703 separating Tuf Cooper and his brother-in-law Trevor Brazile in the race for the 2018 All-Around title. The gap closed considerably during the ClemMcSpadden National Finals Steer Roping in November, but it’s still anyone’s game as Cooper, Brazile and Rhen Richard enter the 2018Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. At the top of the race, a familiar pattern has arisen. Cooper, the defending All- Around champion, also led the race for the All-Around title at the end of the 2017 regular season with Brazile hot on his heels. Before the 2018 NFSR, the three cowboys in contention for the most coveted buckle in the world were within $80,000 of each other. After the NFSR, the gap between Cooper and Brazile dwindled, but they increased their lead on Richard. Cooper leads Brazile by $5,703. Richard trails Cooper by $102,678 and Brazile by $96,975. “It’s absolutely amazing, and all glory and honor to God,” Cooper said. “I’m very blessed for the opportunity I have had all year and worked as hard as I can every day.” Unlike last year, Richard presents a third contender for the All-Around title, as he’s set to compete in tie-down roping and team roping at the Wrangler NFR. The 2018 season marks Cooper’s 11thWrangler NFR qualification and his second time at the NFSR. Brazile has had 31 Wrangler NFR qualifications and 21 NFSR qualifications. This will be Richard’s first Finals trip. “Hopefully good things happen,” Richard said. “I don’t think a guy can change what he does, just try to get out of the barrier good and try to treat it like another rodeo and do your best. I’m just going to do as good as I can in each event and see what happens.” What Richard lacks inWrangler NFR experience, he makes up for in handling his rope well, scoring sharp and having excellent horsepower. Richard’s tie-down roping horse, Lights On Cd (Patron), placed second in the 2018 PRCA | AQHA Tie-down Roping Horse of the Year race and his team roping horse, Pepinic Buck (Festus), placed third for team roping heading. “They (Cooper and Brazile) both have really good horses, and everyone there has good horses, so it’s a matter of drawing good and capitalizing when you do,” Richard said. “I haven’t been there before, and they’re more experienced in that deal. But I feel sharp and ready, and I’ll try to stay healthy and enjoy it when it comes.” Cooper’s success in the race for the all-around title had been on the horizon for a few years. He ranked third in 2013, second in 2014 and fourth in 2015. Cooper started steer roping about four years ago with encouragement from Brazile, who’s won 23 world titles between tie-down roping, team roping, steer roping and all-around. In 2017, Cooper ended the regular season leading the all-around standings thanks to leading the tie-down roping standings with $190,445 and ranking 13th in steer roping with $44,217. But the tide turned at the 2017 NFSR when Brazile won $47,382 more than Cooper, who scored only $15,891. Cooper reclaimed the lead and nabbed his first All-AroundWorld Champion title following the 2017 Wrangler NFR. This year, he set a record for most money earned in the regular season for steer roping, breaking Guy Allen’s 1998 record of $87,927. “I made a big jump this year with my performance in steer roping and just executing the things I needed to do, get some runs under my belt,” Cooper said. “All the steer ropers have been super helpful. Trevor has been super helpful, and my dad (Roy) and his dad, too. We basically all live together and practice every day.” Cooper’s biggest win of the 2018 season came early at San Antonio where he won $39,075 between steer roping and tie-down roping. “It really set me up for the spring and going into the summer,” Cooper said. “It allowed me to have a little bit of a cushion and gave me a lot of confidence, especially in the steer roping, to go at them and see what happens.” At 28, Cooper has plenty of years of rodeo left, so he’s branching out to find new goals. “I’d like to win the triple crown for the next 100 years. With modern science and my high level of income, there’s no reason I can’t live to be 120,” Cooper laughed, quoting “Talladega Nights.”

ProRodeo Sports News 11/16/2018

ProRodeo.com

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