What began as a routine emergency call quickly turned into a high-profile investigation when first responders discovered a rodeo icon dead inside a burning Texas home.
Roy Cooper, the ProRodeo Hall of Famer and eight-time world champion calf roper, was found dead Tuesday evening after a fire destroyed his home in Decatur, Texas. He was 69.
According to Wise County officials, the fire was reported at 7:08 p.m. on April 29, 2025, in the 600 block of County Road 3051.
Emergency crews from Wise County EMS and the Decatur Fire Department arrived on the scene approximately seven minutes later and found the large, single-story home fully engulfed in flames.
“Wise County EMS Rescue-1 and Decatur Fire Department arrived on scene approximately seven minutes [after the initial 911 call] and observed a single-family residence heavily involved in fire,” Wise County Fire Marshal Jeff Doughty said in a press release. “They immediately started to extinguish the fire and were notified that a victim may still be inside the residence.”
Doughty confirmed that the body of Roy Dale Cooper was discovered inside the home at approximately 7:30 p.m. Cooper was pronounced dead by Wise County Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Jan Morrow. His body was transported to the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination.
At around 10:45 p.m., the Tarrant County Arson Task Force arrived to assist in determining the fire’s origin and cause. The Wise County Fire Marshal’s Office, Tarrant County Fire and Arson Investigators Task Force, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, and Texas Rangers are all actively involved in the ongoing investigation.
Wise County EMS Chief Randall Preuninger explained that while firefighters were unable to enter the home during the initial stages, reports from family members and the presence of Cooper’s vehicles helped confirm a fatality at the scene.
“They pulled up to the main house, which was completely involved and then pulled around to the second house, protecting exposure behind there,” Preuninger said. “Then, at that point, they were able to determine a fatality.”
No additional injuries were reported. Multiple departments responded to the fire, including the Decatur Fire Department, Wise County EMS, New Fairview Fire Rescue, Greenwood-Slidell Volunteer Fire Department, Wise County ESD No. 1, and Wise County ESD No. 3.
On April 30, 2025, Cooper’s son, Tuf Cooper, shared the family’s grief in a public post on his official Facebook page, “It is with great sadness that our family shares the passing of our Dad, The Super Looper, Roy Cooper. We’re all in shock and at a loss for words from this tragedy at the moment.”
Cooper was a prominent figure in rodeo for four decades. He competed in the PRCA from 1976 to 2016 and built a decorated career in tie-down roping.
According to PRCA ProRodeo’s Facebook post on May 21, 2024, “The Cooper family is legendary in ProRodeo, more specifically in tie-down roping. Roy Cooper, 8x World Champion calf roper and ProRodeo Hall of Famer, competed in the PRCA from 1976-2016, amassing a legendary resume throughout his years as a professional cowboy.”
Cooper’s legacy extends through his sons — Clif, Clint, and Tuf — all of whom became professional ropers. The trio qualified together for the 2010 National Finals Rodeo, the first time three brothers competed at the event. Collectively, the Cooper family has won 12 tie-down roping world titles and made 40 appearances at the NFR.
News of Cooper’s death has stirred heartfelt tributes across the rodeo and country music communities, with fans, friends, and public figures sharing memories of the man known as the “Super Looper.”
Country music icon George Strait wrote on X, “We lost our good friend and my hero Roy Cooper yesterday.” Strait’s message reflected both personal admiration and spiritual comfort, closing with a hopeful farewell to his friend.
We lost our good friend and my hero Roy Cooper yesterday. He’s with our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ now. God please be with the Cooper family and friends. We’ll miss you amigo. I’ll come find you one day. — gs
— George Strait (@GeorgeStrait) April 30, 2025
From Decatur, Texas, where Cooper lived, Travis Taylor shared his grief in a Facebook post, which read in part, “Roy Cooper. Super Looper. Cowboy Cool… Our Decatur/Rodeo family is mourning the loss of rodeo icon and legend Roy Cooper. Roy was a friend to everyone he met and he will be greatly missed…”
Western Sky Steak House, a restaurant Cooper frequented, also paid tribute, “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Roy Cooper, a legendary figure in the rodeo community and a dear friend to our establishment…”
While tributes poured in, Cooper’s own words from a July 2023 interview resurfaced, offering a vivid look into his character and beginnings.
Cooper reflected on 1976, the year he turned professional. He was 20 years old and recalled missing his first three calves at Kansas City and Chicago. After calling his mother from a payphone and joking that he couldn’t “even catch a cold,” he quickly rebounded.
At his next rodeo, he tied one in about seven or nine seconds and began placing at major events. A highlight came in Fort Worth, where he earned a check for $4,300, which he called “the biggest shock ever had in my life.”
Cooper described the thrill of visiting major cities for the first time, particularly Houston, “My memory at Houston is the Elvis blade… The King was there. Me and Kim [Gripp] come down there to the Astrodome… I’ve never seen a roof that tall. Seventh Wonder of the world.”
At the time, Cooper was still a student at Southeastern State University in Durant, where he had already won a college championship. He credited Ernie Taylor as the mentor who helped him mature quickly in the sport, “I’m sure I would have made it looking back, but I wouldn’t have made it as fast if it hadn’t been for him.”
As the PRCA introduced ProCom, the rodeo’s centralized entry system, Cooper recalled how both rookies and veterans struggled to adjust. With confidence and humor, he said, “The year I got my card was the year ProCom come in… them older guys didn’t know more than I did.”
He embraced his leadership role early, bringing younger cowboys like Fred, Cody, and Joe on the road. He stressed the importance of mentorship, support, and belief, “You got to have somebody in your corner… helps you, supports you, and gives you confidence… even when you’re not [good].”
One story he shared captured both his focus and his humor. At the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, he was preparing to rope when four girls approached him in the arena asking where they were going afterward, “I said, ‘Get out of here, man, I’m trying to rope.'” Then he added, ‘”All right, Holiday Inn.’ That’s the truth.”
Despite the distraction, he placed fourth with a time of 14 flat, and ultimately won both the PRCA Championship and World Championship that year.
Cooper said the weight of his accomplishments didn’t hit him right away, “Didn’t dawn on me till Christmas time… I thought, what do you do now? Go do it again.”
He later realized how meaningful it was to win Rookie of the Year and listed others who had done the same before going on to world titles. He also reflected on the unusually high number of rookies at the NFR that year — seven in total, including himself, Kim Gripp, Butch Bodie, Terry Davidson, Ed Workman, and others.
He spoke with pride about the horses he rode throughout his career, saying he was “lucky enough to have four or five great ones.” In his view, “The better horse you got, the easier it is to win.”
He closed the interview with advice rooted in experience, “Stay honest with yourself and true to your goal… You only can win one rookie. So just do or die your very first year. Live it every day.”
Cooper’s story is etched in rodeo history — not just in championships, but in character. As fire investigators continue to probe the cause of his sudden death, the rodeo world pauses to remember a man who gave everything to the sport and inspired generations along the way.
