BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Since bursting onto the NFR stage as an 18-year-old rookie in 2008, Tuf Cooper has become a fixture in Las Vegas, qualifying nearly every year since. After a brief hiatus in 2016, Cooper is now riding an eight-year streak and enters the 2024 NFR at No. 11 in the world, fresh off his best finish in five years.
National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, $10,821
Cooper put together a gem in Denver, making four straight runs of 8.4 seconds or faster and winning two rounds at the second Playoff Rodeo of the 2024 season. He ended up fourth with a 7.8 in the Finals.
Cooper’s best time of the bunch was a 7.1-second run in Round 2 that paid him over $4,000. That would go on to tie for his fastest of the season.
La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros, $13,456
Cooper’s performance in Tucson was pure dominance—he won both rounds, besting his nearest competitor in Round 2 by more than a second, and securing the Average by a substantial two-second margin.
After the win, Cooper cracked the Top 5 in the PRCA World Standings.
Oakley Independence Day Rodeo, $4,601
Cooper won two checks of more than $3,000 over Cowboy Christmas and the larger of them came in Utah. He was 8.1 seconds to take third in the rodeo behind Ty Harris’ 7.4 and Cole Clemons’ 7.7.
The Calgary Stampede, $13,750
At one of the PRCA’s premier rodeos, Cooper made three terrific runs in Pool A. He was between 7.1 and 7.4 seconds on all of them and finished first or second in every round. On Championship Sunday, he came up just short, finishing fifth in the Semifinals with an 8.2 to narrowly miss the Four-Man Finals.
Cooper made four runs of 7.5 Seconds or Faster on the season, which ranked tied for ninth in the PRCA.
Snake River Stampede, $5,862
Tuf Cooper had a solid showing in Nampa, finishing fifth in the Second Round with a time of 7.8 seconds, tying with fellow World Champion Marcos Costa and making $1,697 each. In the Finals, Cooper placed fifth again, clocking 8.9 seconds and earning $414. He secured fourth in the Average, with 24.6 seconds on three head, bringing in $3,751.
Golden Spike Rodeo, $4,766
Cooper finished second in Tremonton, Utah with a 7.9-second run, which put him six tenths behind Riley Pruitt.
Cooper has placed in the Top 5 of the Golden Spike Rodeo in two of his three career appearances there.
Meet the NFR Athletes is presented by Montana Silversmiths #EveryBuckleHasAStory #BrandOfChampions #FromGreatToGold
