Cooper Cooke captures title at the Dutton Ranch Darby Xtreme event
With the summer run looming and every dollar carrying increased importance in the race to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Cooper Cooke delivered one of the biggest rides of his season at the Dutton Ranch Darby (Mont.) Xtreme Bareback event, making a 91-point ride on J Bar J Rodeo’s No Show Reiner in the short round to secure a large paycheck and boost his ranks in the world standings.
The victory at one of bareback riding’s premier standalone events is expected to move the 23-year-old bareback rider up approximately four spots from No. 14 in the PRCA | Bill Fick Ford World Standings and provide momentum heading into the busiest stretch of the season.
“Oh, (this win) is really good,” said Cooke, 23. “I’m going to bump up in the standings for sure.”
Cooke first advanced through the long round with an 86-point ride on J Bar J Rodeo’s Rodeo Jacket, securing a spot among Sunday’s matinee finalists. Once there, he found himself sitting on the opportunity to walk away with the highest-marked ride of the weekend.
The championship-winning match up came aboard J Bar J’s No Show Reiner, a horse Cooke had never drawn before.
While the final score suggested a smooth trip, the ride nearly unraveled from the start.
“I actually thought I was going to get bucked off the second jump,” Cooke said. “She had me (sitting) forward quite a bit, but right after that, I just picked her back up, and it was good.”
The recovery paid off immediately as the judges awarded the ride with 91 points, enough to secure the Darby title against a field packed with many of the sport’s top competitors such as six-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier and world champion Jess Pope and 2026 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo champion Tilden Hooper.
The two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier remains eligible for the newly created Big Sky Xtreme Bareback bonus, which will award $100,000 to any rider who can win both the Darby Xtreme Bareback and the Riggin Masters event at the NILE in Billings, Mont., later this year.
Cooke’s focus remains on positioning himself for another trip to Las Vegas in December. The Victor, Idaho, cowboy believes experience has helped him become more consistent each season.
“Yeah, I feel really good,” Cooke said. “It seems every year I just keep getting better and better and go up the standings every year.”
A year ago, at the NFR, Cooke won his first two career NFR rounds taking home the victory in Round 1 and Round 9. He earned, $130,945 in Vegas and finished 7th in the world standings with $273,539.
“I need to just take advantage of every opportunity I get,” Cooke said.
-PRCA
