Rodeo Retirement

For 30 years, I watched as Roy Cooper set and eventually broke countless timed-event records. He’s among the best calf- and steer ropers to ever set foot in the arena, and today he’s sitting on the sidelines, hoping to see his children follow in his enormous footsteps. This spring, we were in the stands watching as Tuf and Clint Cooper roped at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

When you take into account that Roy Cooper was rodeo’s first $2 million man and is now retired, his thoughts about rodeo’s past and future are invaluable.

Bob Tallman: Does it bring back memories to be in this building again?

Roy Cooper: My dad won the college finals here. I came here in 1976 to compete for the first time, and I remember seeing the ocean and the bay. I’d never been to California before. This old building’s got so many memories in it. I was the champion here when the rodeo was in November, and I needed it to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo.

BT: Do you get nervous watching the kids rope?

RC: I’ve turned out so many calves for them since they were 8 years old. I’ve watched them grow and mature, and I know what they are capable of doing. If I can just be here and give them a little helping hand or encouragement, I want to do that. I just hope they’ll go out there and do what they’re capable of doing.

Rodeo is a sport. but they’ve got to love what they do to win what they can.

BT: Did your dad get to travel with you early in your career?

RC: From the time we got involved in rodeo, he had to work to support us. That was the only way we could go to junior rodeos. My mother hauled my sister, brother and me to junior rodeos. The day I got my driver’s license, I was gone. I went to high-school rodeos on my own at 16 and 17, and then was off to college rodeos.

My dad’s always watched me at some of the big ropings or the NFR, but he had to work full-time.

BT: Can a young kid make a living in rodeo today?

RC: There’s big money in rodeo. Just look at the rigs out there in the parking lot. They’ve got $150,000 or more in a lot of those rigs and diesel is $4 a gallon. Average horses — not great horses — are $50,000 these days. It costs so much to rodeo in comparison to what a guy can win. All I’m going to do is tell my kids they’ve got to win more to keep going. It’s up to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association to see what they can come up with. There is a lot of money to be won — if it’s structured right.

Roy cooper, 52 at the time, won more than $2 million in professional rodeo. PRCA Photo by Mike Copeman BT: Such as the structure at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo?

RC: Looking back, I won Houston four times and never won as much money as the calf-roping champion did this year alone. The big-dollar rodeos need to be where the big guys go, and there needs to be plenty of money up for grabs. I think they should be like Denver and have a qualifying round to let some other guys have a chance.

I know four kids capable of making the NFR in their rookie years, but they can’t get into a pro rodeo because of the current system. I’d like to see the top 30 in the standings get into the big events and then reserve the other 20 spots for guys from the qualifying round.

There are a lot of guys who rodeo for a living that aren’t getting a shot to participate at San Antonio or Houston. From a business standpoint, you want the greatest ropers at the greatest rodeos. But let’s say there are 1,000 ropers in the PRCA. Only 300 are probably capable of winning something. But I think any of them who buy a membership should have a chance to rope for the money.

This article was originally published in the June 2008 issue of Western Horseman.

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