Rodeo legend Roy Cooper, the 'Super Looper,' dies in fire at 69
Roy Cooper, nicknamed the "Super Looper" during his legendary rodeo career, died this week at the age of 69.
Cooper, considered the greatest roper of all time, died in a house fire on his property in Decatur, Texas, Tuesday.
"It is with great sadness that our family shares the passing of our Dad, The Super Looper, Roy Cooper," Cooper's son, Tuf, wrote in a Facebook post. "We're all in shock and at a loss for words from this tragedy at the moment."
Cooper launched his career in 1976, when he won a world championship in his first national finals. He won eight titles overall and was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979, just three years into his career.
Tuf is a third-generation rodeo star. Cooper's parents were also ropers. Cooper's mother was born on a ranch, and the family lived in New Mexico when he was growing up.
The rodeo world mourned Cooper's death.
"Heartbroken to hear of the passing of Roy Cooper. … He inspired generations of cowboys, and his legacy lives on," Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee Andra Estes Beatty said in a statement, via The Express Tribune.
"The rodeo community mourns a tremendous loss today with the passing of rodeo legend and Super Looper, Roy Cooper," the Texas Department of Agriculture added. "Commissioner Sid Miller and his wife, Debra, are lifting the Cooper family up in prayer as they navigate this heartbreaking time."
"When anyone referenced the 'Super Looper,' every rodeo fan knew exactly who you were talking about," Professional Bull Riding CEO Sean Gleason wrote.
Cooper became the first roper to earn $2 million in ProRodeo in 2000.
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