Tuf Cooper Comes to Castle Dale

The big talk before the rodeo was how Tuf Cooper was entered. The big question was...will he show or decide to turn out?  Zach and I went to visit my parents that weekend, so my dad got us free tickets to the rodeo. We went and sat on the fence behind the roping chute.  Tuf was there, and it wasn't hard to miss him with all the attention he was getting. It made me feel bad for him. He probably can't go anywhere without being interrupted in conversation to pose for a picture. What a kind, gentleman to always be such a great sport about it though.

One of those annoying picture posers was my little sister. :) She wanted a picture with him so bad and kept saying, "Come get me in the back with the cowboys so I can get a picture with him." I kept asking her earlier in the week, "Did you even know who he was before you googled him?" Tayler hasn't had much to do with the rodeo/horse scene since we were kids, so I always tease her about stuff like that.  None of my siblings ever really had too much to do with horses besides her. I was a loner, until Teigen decided to take up roping/riding about two years ago. Now he shares my passion for roping and rodeo. Tayler always wants to go with me to the NFR though, and last time I took her along, we had a great time! What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas though. Secrets only sisters share. HAHA!

My dad actually had to be the one to ask him, then he yelled at me to come take the picture. I said, "Are you sick of this yet?" to which he replied simply, "No ma'am." I think that's one of the biggest reasons I respect him as an athlete so much. It takes a special kind of personality to handle the media attention.  There are those who will not pause for a picture with fans at all, so I commend those that take the time to be respectful to people, even when people are bothering them for a picture.

I asked him what brought him to "Podunk" Utah and he claimed it was because he heard what a great rodeo it was. I said, "Now I know that's a lie because I'm from here, and I don't even come back for this rodeo." We just kind of all laughed and I thanked him for the picture for my sister and wished him luck on his run.  He is definitely a neat kid, but it is still so crazy to me how people idolize "celebrities" because he is just that, a neat kid who happens to be an extremely talented roper. God bless the world though that we can always have cowboys with good attitudes and respect for those of us who are not so famous.  It would be a sad day in rodeo for me if they were all arrogant and above taking pictures with fans.