story by Riata Cummings
Cooper Sagers has been competing in rodeo for 4 years, and his events are saddle bronc steer riding, breakaway roping and team roping. In the team roping he heads for Cody Russel. Last year, Cooper was the Utah Junior High School Rodeo Association Boy’s Breakaway Reserve Champion and finished fourth in the state saddle bronc steer riding. He went on to compete at the Silver State International Rodeo where he was crowned the saddle bronc steer riding champion. This year he has his heart set on a state championship and a trip to the National Junior High School Finals Rodeo.
Cooper is the son of Darrel and Shannon Sagers of small-town Rush Valley, Utah. He and his brothers, Cash and Cutter, enjoy roping and rodeoing together. Cooper also enjoys hunting animals of all kinds, especially deer. Cooper is an eighth grader at Grantsville Junior High School, where his favorite class is physical education because “there’s no paperwork.”
Cooper practices his rodeo events every day. He rides the spur board and bucking machine to sharpen his saddle bronc skills and ropes the dummy or live animals to prepare for his other events. Cooper believes that, “Whoever puts the most time in and practices the most should win in the end,” so he does as much as he can, whenever he can. His rodeo horses are Apache, a breakaway gelding who is reliable and good mannered, and Sweetness, the mare he heads on who has an attitude from time to time.
Cooper lives by the saying, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” It reminds him that, “the harder you work, the better you get,” and that effort precedes skill. Cooper would advise rodeo rookies to, “Never give up. Always keep trying for what you want and keep setting new goals. Some people give up too easily when, if they would just keep working, they would eventually get what they wanted when they set out.”
Cooper’s heroes include Jackie Crawford, the first ever WNFR breakaway roping champion, and Trevor Brazile, twenty-five-time PRCA world champion. He admires their ability to “handle pressure” and prioritize good horsemanship. “They try hard and work hard to win, and they don’t crack when it comes down to a short-go.” Last year at state finals, Cooper didn’t perform as well has he had hoped. “Even though I practiced pretty hard and wanted to win, it didn’t go as well as I wanted it to. So, this year I am practicing all the time, harder than last year, and focusing on the positive.”
Cooper’s motivation comes from watching world champions like Brazile and Crawford, seeing how they prepare and compete. He is also motivated by his parents encouraging him to do his best and keep working for his goals. He would like to thank his parents, family and friends for helping him down the rodeo road. “Thank you for helping me, for encouraging me and for always being there.”