Cannon Cooper is an eleven-year-old Madill sixth grader. His parents are Seth and Shelbie Cooper, and his brother’s name is Cash.
Even though he loves basketball and can tell you everything there is to know about the sport, rodeo is where his heart is.
Cannon started riding at the age of five. He first started out riding sheep in the Texoma Junior Rodeo Association. He rode every sheep there was all season long eventually winning the 2016 TJRA Mutton Bustin Championship.
He said he has kept every bit of wool that got hung in his spurs from the sheep in a ziploc bag as a souvenir.
The little cowboy started riding to follow his dad’s footsteps who also rode bulls in his younger days. Cannon currently rides and practices almost every weekend – some months are busier than others. He rides and competes all over Oklahoma and Texas.
Over the six years of riding, he has faced many trials and tribulations. One of his biggest struggles has been from some minor injuries.
He has dealt with a broken leg, strained bicep, and many other bruises. However, he has never let that stop him or deter him in any way.
Cannon is the five-time Wrangler Youth Bull Rider and World Finals Qualifier. Along with this, he also carries the TJRA 2016 Mutton Bustin Champion, the South Central Youth Rodeo Association’s 2017 Mutton Bustin Reserve Champion, the 2018 Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association’s Calf Riding Reserve Champion, the 2019 Mid-south Youth Cowboys Rodeo Association and TJRA Calf Riding Champion, as well as the 2020 Oklahoma Youth Rodeo Association and MRCA Calf Riding Reserve Champion. Even with all these accomplishments, he considers his biggest achievements are the 2020 TJRA Calf Riding Champion and the Year End Final Average Champion.
Cannon gave sound advice to anybody wishing to live the rodeo life.
“Live life one rodeo at a time!”