Cooper Davis takes Break from Title Race to Tour Nation’s Capital
By: Justin Felisko
September 22, 2018
Cooper Davis spent some time before the U.S. Border Patrol Invitational touring Washington, D.C. Photo: instagram.com/coopertdav.
FAIRFAX, Va. – 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis may be in hot pursuit of another gold buckle, but the 24-year-old made sure to take some time to visit the nation’s capital with his wife Kaitlyn, son Mack and grandparents Marvin and Donna McDonald this week.
“We went to see the White House and Arlington National Cemetery,” Cooper said. “Man, going to the cemetery can put things in perspective for you. How many people that have laid down their lives for us to do what we do. That was pretty surreal right there. I am glad Mack got to see it. I don’t know if he fully understood it, but we tried to tell him a little about it. I don’t know. Maybe one day he will look back and put two and two together.”
Davis had never been to Washington, D.C. before, and this weekend is another example of just how special his journey has been as a professional bull rider.
Never in 100 years did Davis ever expect to see so many different parts of the country and the world like he has since turning pro at 18 years old.
Davis was in Edmonton, Alberta, last November and Sydney, Australia, this summer for the PBR Global Cup.
“Heck, the furthest I ever got away from home when I was 15 or 16 was 3 or 4 hours,” Davis said. “I didn’t know that it would go this far. It is pretty cool to see where it has brought me, just for doing something I like to do. It is pretty cool.”
Davis made sure to leave his tourist sunglasses on the side once he arrived at EagleBank Arena on Saturday night.
The No. 7 ranked bull rider in the world standings took care of business with an 85.5-point ride on Calm Intentions to finish Round 1 tied for fourth place and 35 world points.
“Yeah that was a really good bull,” Davis said. “I kind of had plans of him going to the right so to be able to make an adjustment and not think about it felt good.”
Davis has been the talk of the sport this week following his career-high 93.75 points on Smooth Operator last weekend in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The Jasper, Texas, bull rider knows it is a new week, though.
“You have to remind yourself it is a humbling sport,” Davis said. “What happened last week has nothing to do with today. It doesn’t do any good to think about that. Even if you are riding good, you are still human. It does not eliminate anything that can happen this weekend.”
Davis had no success in the 15/15 Bucking Battle when he was ruled to have slapped Catfish John at 5.56 seconds.
The fourth-year pro believed that when Catfish John hit the out gate it forced the bull to then lunge forward – a change of direction – and pull Davis down.
Davis has drawn Pop A Top (0-1, PBR UTB) for Round 2 on Sunday.
He heads into Championship Sunday 1,395 points behind world leader Kaique Pacheco.
Would Davis accept an invitation to the White House from President Donald Trump and a return trip to Washington, D.C. to celebrate his second championship if he can pull off a late-season rally come the 2018 PBR World Finals?
“I would love to,” Davis said.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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