Cooper Martin

Cooper Martin – Alma, Kan. ($86,260)
3-time WNFR qualifier

It would be easy to assume that after qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the getting back there again wouldn’t be so difficult.

Cooper Martin has qualified for the NFR for three consecutive years and each qualification has had his family and friends holding their breath. The first year he competed in the Thomas and Mack Arena, he started in 14th place.

Last year, he was back again, wasn’t in the standings until he had a very lucrative Fourth-of-July. He started in 13th.

This year, he started the new year with a big win in Colorado at Denver’s National Western Stock Show. It seemed as though Cooper might not be waiting until the last weeks of the season to see if his ticket to Las Vegas was punched.

In April he was 11th in the world standings. After another good Fourth-of-July run, he moved up to seventh. Then he started dropping when he wanted to be moving up. On September 9, he had $85,493 and was 12th. With 3 weeks left and several guys nipping on his heels he kept going.

He added almost $3,000 to his earnings and qualified for the 2019 NFR in 15th with $88,260, about $500 ahead of the man in 16th John Douch.

Cooper has had success in Las Vegas the past two years winning a round in each of his those qualifications. Last year he didn’t get a check until the sixth round, but when he did it was for the round win.

He comes from a family highly involved in agriculture. The family values that come with being responsible for animals and producing food have been instilled in Cooper and his younger sister Caxton.

Alma, Kansas, has a population of less than 1,000. Cooper Martin just might be the most famous citizen to come out of the community. It’s a safe bet that a majority of the town will be anxiously watching Cooper as he works to move up in the tie-down roping standings at the 2019 NFR.