PRORODEO legends react to sudden death of Hall of Famer Roy Cooper

The news of PRORODEO Hall of Famer Roy Cooper’s sudden passing sent shockwaves through the rodeo community Wednesday.

Cooper, an eight-time PRCA World Champion in tie-down roping (1976, 1980-84), steer roping (1983) and all-around (1983), passed away in a house fire at his home in Decatur, Texas Tuesday night. He was 69 years old.

Cooper’s passing garnered somber reaction from fellow PRORODEO legends, including Hall of Fame All-Around cowboy Joe Beaver.

Beaver joined the PRORODEO ranks in 1985, winning the PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year award at just 20 years old. He went on to win three All-Around World Championships (1995-96, 2000), as well as five Tie-Down Roping World Championships (1985, 1987-88, 1992-93).

Despite his own success, Beaver said Cooper was a cowboy he looked up to. Cooper taught him and others how to be fierce competitor, never settling for being just good enough.

“Win at all costs,” Beaver said. “If you were going to give $20,000 for this horse, he was going to give $30,000 to buy him out from under you. Fierce competitor.”

Beaver said he lost a dear friend with Cooper’s passing, and PRORODEO lost a trailblazer in calf roping.

“One of the Mount Rushmore heads of calf roping is gone,” Beaver said. “Roy changed the sport of tie-down roping more than anybody at one point in time that’s ever roped. He brought a sense of urgency to the tie-down roping world. If you want to compete and win, from now on times have changed. Roy Cooper changed it all.”

Four-time Steer Roping World Champion Rocky Patterson echoed Beaver about Cooper’s competitive nature.

“The thing about Roy, he was always going to win something,” Patterson said. “It didn’t matter what it was, he was going to win.”

Patterson said Cooper had an influence on him early on in his career. A self-described “nobody” early on, Patterson said Cooper always took the time to greet him and speak with him at rodeos.
 
That left a lasting impression.

“I think he was just a good-hearted guy,” Patterson said, adding that his passing was something he never would have expected. “You just don’t want to believe it. He’s a legend you think is going to live forever.”

World Champion tie-down and steer roper Phil Lyne recalled telling Cooper he didn’t need to buy a horse. Cooper, being competitive and stubborn, bought it anyway.

Months later, he tapped Lyne on the shoulder and said, ‘You were right,’ before walking off.

“I’ll never forget that,” Lyne said with a laugh. “He rode him one time and that was it.”

Memories such as those are special for Lyne. He and Cooper competed alongside one another through the 1970s and 1980s. Cooper once let Lyne ride his horse, Charlie, in competition in San Angelo, Texas. Lyne went on to win the tie-down and steer roping titles that weekend.

“He had a big heart,” Lyne said. “You just hate to see a good friend go. Undoubtedly, he was one of the best calf ropers ever.”

Nine-time world champion Ty Murray compared Cooper to legends in other sports, including Michael Jordan of the NBA. Murray said Cooper changed the sport for the better.

“He progressed it like it hadn’t seen until he came along,” Murray said. “He was one of those guys … I really feel like he was like Michael Jordan. I feel like that term gets used too much but that’s really what he was like.”

Murray has many memories of Cooper. From his time in competition to his practice runs to polish his craft, Murray says Cooper is on a pedestal of his own in PRORODEO.

“The guys that have been bad ass in calf roping in the last 20 to 30 years, the legends of the game, they send Roy Cooper Christmas cards,” Murray said. “Roy Cooper is a legend that the legends look up to.”