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EDITH HAPPY CONNELLY |
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Born Oct. 16, 1925, in Boston, Edith Happy Connelly first traveled West in 1934 and for a number of years alternated spending two years with her father in Boston and two years with her mother in California. Both coasts offered the opportunity for her to pursue her love of equine activities. Then she met trick rider and roper Buck Abbott, who convinced her that Western was better. Connelly began working rodeos as a trick rider in 1943 and spent more than two decades performing at rodeos across the country. Her hippodrome stand was a crowd favorite. Her rodeo career led to work with the Gene Autry show and then to stunt work in Hollywood, where she served as a stunt double for Dorothy Malone, Betty Hutton, Virginia Mayo and Irene Dunn. Connelly may be best known for the second phase of her rodeo career, an administrator and rodeo secretary. The four-time National Finals Rodeo secretary also worked the Golden State Rodeo, the Mesquite (Texas) Championship Rodeo, California Rodeo Salinas and Madison Square Garden in New York. No matter what role she played, it was always with the utmost honesty, integrity and with the best interest of rodeo in mind. Connelly died Feb. 28, 1999. |
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LEX CONNELLY |
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Born March 5, 1926, in Bryn Mawr, Pa., Lex Connelly was a successful roper and steer wrestler for 11 seasons. He also served terms as team roping director and vice president of the then-titled Rodeo Cowboys Association. After he retired from competition in 1957, he was appointed executive secretary-treasurer of the cowboy association. Connelly played an important role in the growth of the association, helping it add insurance coverage for contestants, an in-house publicity bureau, national television coverage and creation of the National Finals Rodeo, which Connelly later managed for three years in Los Angeles. Connelly then became active with his own and other rodeo production companies on the West Coast, coupling that operation with rodeo announcing, followed by six years as manager of San Francisco’s Cow Palace. Returning home to farm acreage in Fresno (Calif.) in 1977, he involved himself in a series of projects, including a cattle operation, public service television, the PRCA’s Sierra Circuit and the area’s Hunger Outreach Programs. Connelly died April 5, 1984, when his light plane crashed near Baker, Ore., en route to an announcing engagement at a spring rodeo in Spokane, Wash. |
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CLAY O’BRIEN COOPER |
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Movie star, television actor, accomplished tie-down roper, premier team roping heeler, multiple world champion – Clay O’Brien Cooper has led a charmed life. Cooper, born May 6, 1961, in Ray, Ariz., started roping at age 6. He made his first movie debut with John Wayne in The Cowboys and went on to appear in numerous Western movies and television shows. As a heeler, he teamed with Jake Barnes to win a record seven world team roping championships. Cooper and Barnes jointly set the team roping aggregate record at the National Finals Rodeo of 59.1 seconds on 10 head, en route to the world title in 1994. Cooper was the Turquoise Circuit all around champion in 1985-87, 1991 and 1993 and the circuit’s team roping champion in 1983-84. He was the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo team roping winner in 1987, 1989 and 1995. “Since I was a kid, I always wanted to rope for a living. The best thing is being able to make a living for me and my family doing what I always wanted,” Cooper said. |
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ROY COOPER |
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Roy Cooper jumped out of the box, winning the world tie-down roping championship and Rookie of the Year honors the first year he became a full-time professional in 1976. Born Nov. 13, 1955, in Hobbs, N.M., Cooper was severely afflicted with asthma as a child, which gave him little promise of becoming a professional roper. By the time he entered high school, however, he had overcome his asthma and dedicated himself to incessant practice of all elements of tie-down roping. He developed into one of the most dominant ropers in the history of the sport, earning the nickname “Super Looper.” He was the first PRCA cowboy to surpass $2 million in career earnings and has won eight world championships, six in tie-down roping, one in steer roping and one world all-around crown. |
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DEB COPENHAVER |
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Deb Copenhaver, considered one of the greatest bronc riders to come out of the Pacific Northwest, was born Jan 21, 1925, in Wilbur, Wash. Copenhaver was just a kid when he started breaking horses and exercising racehorses. His rodeo career took a backseat to World War II when he enlisted in the Seabees at age 17. By 1948 Copenhaver was back on the rodeo trail full time, and by the early 1950s he was winning consistently. He won the big ones – Calgary in 1953, 1955 and 1958; Madison Square Garden in 1952 and 1955; Pendleton (Ore.) in 1954; Salinas (Calif.) in 1952; Denver in 1956; and Fort Worth (Texas) in 1954. Copenhaver won world saddle bronc riding titles in 1955 and 1956. To win his 1955 title, Copenhaver traveled more than 90,000 miles to both coasts, Canada and as far south as San Antonio. One weekend he chartered a plane to enter seven rodeos in five states (four of which ran concurrently). Copenhaver’s world championships were due to his dedicated concentration to what it takes to be a good rider. He did his best to score the highest possible marking on every bronc he drew. He served on the PRCA Board of Directors from 1986-89. |
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CLINT COREY Known as much for his positive attitude as for his accomplishments, Clint Corey has produced one of the most consistently high level careers in the history of ProRodeo. Born Nov. 29, 1961, Corey joined the PRCA in 1984. Since that time, he has qualified for the Wrangler NFR 18 times, including 17 straight from 1985-2001; won the 1991 world bareback riding title; and captured the aggregate title at the 2001 Wrangler NFR. In addition to his dominance in the world standings, Corey also has proved himself in his circuit, winning the Columbia River Circuit year-end title 12 consecutive times between 1989-2000. He has won the bareback title at the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo (DNCFR) three times (1989, 1991 and 1997), making him the only roughstock cowboy in event history to have claimed three titles. Corey was always passionate about rodeo because he was doing what he wanted to do. |
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