Riley Webb follows in footsteps of legend, mentor

The last thing Riley Webb planned to think about was competing for the 2025 tie-down roping world title.

But suddenly, the reality of his goals for the season collided with the moment he was experiencing, intertwining in a way he never envisioned.

In April, the rodeo world lost legendary cowboy Roy Cooper to an accidental house fire. The 69-year-old ProRodeo Hall of Famer won eight PRCA world titles during his storied career, including six in tie-down roping.

Webb, a lifelong Texan, grew up around the Cooper family. His parents helped the Coopers put on junior roping competitions for years, events he competed at during his childhood. Roy was a mentor who guided the up-and-coming PRCA competitor way during the early stages of his career.

After the tragedy, people began to reflect on Cooper’s legacy and his success. No tie-down roper has won three consecutive world titles since Cooper strung together five from 1980-84.

When Webb became aware of that, it was a moment that brought a renewed sense of pride with a hint of sadness. This week, he’s aiming to win his third consecutive gold buckle. Should that happen, it would be a historic accomplishment that he won’t get to celebrate with a man who helped him get to this point.

“I didn’t really realize I was going for three until I saw that the last person to do it was Roy Cooper, and he was a huge help growing up. His family has been a huge part of getting me started when I was young. When I saw that, it kind of opened my eyes,” Webb said. “To be able to go have a chance for three would be cool, especially with him being the last one to do it.”

Webb’s road to this opportunity has been vastly different from his 2024 experience. Last year, the four-time NFR qualifier had to navigate some uncertainty during the latter half of the schedule after his primary horse, Rudy, was injured early in the summer run.

He pieced together a lineup to close out the 2024 regular season, finishing the campaign at No. 4 in the world standings. In Las Vegas, Rudy returned to action and Webb returned to form. The pair placed in eight rounds, winning three, to claim the NFR average title and climb to the top spot in the final standings with a single-season record of $475,214 earned.

This year, things have gone significantly more smoothly. Rudy got a few weeks off in January to recover from running at the NFR. Since then, it’s been all go and very little whoa, with the 12-year-old gelding being the main horse at all but a handful of events. In October, Rudy was selected as the 2025 PRCA Tie-Down Horse of the Year.

Also, Webb began a personal health journey this winter, after struggling through some early events in January. He earned nothing in Denver, settled for third in Fort Worth and left San Antonio empty-handed.

“After Fort Worth, I got a personal trainer and I circled Houston on my calendar. And I busted my butt to be ready for Houston,” Webb said. “We were really working on speed and agility, staying loose and stretching. I think I was strong enough, so we weren’t necessarily lifting a lot of weights by any means. But speed, agility, strength, and staying loose. Really it’s pretty simple, but a little bit can go a long way.”

The result: Webb won RodeoHouston for the second time in his career, vaulting him to No. 1 in the world standings back in late March. It’s a position he has no intention of relinquishing.

During the regular season, he took home top honors at 12 rodeos, including Puyallup (Wash.), Reno and Deadwood (S.D.). Coming into the NFR, he had accumulated more than $315,000 in prize money, putting him approximately $49,000 ahead of Shad Mayfield and more than $119,000 up on Kincade Henry.

After five rounds, Webb has collected $65,298 in 2025 NFR earnings, including $36,668 for a win in the third go-round, hiking his season earnings to $370,430. However, he’s now just a touch behind Mayfield ($376,511) in the season-long world standings, because Mayfield has banked $120,201 over the first five days.

The idea of capturing a third consecutive gold buckle like his legendary mentor is certainly on Webb’s mind. But getting to that point requires a focus on the little things, something Webb has become very aware of. He’s got a healthy horse, a good head start and a lot of confidence. It’s a combination he hopes will end with another world title.

“It’s the NFR, but at the same time, you’ve got to treat it like any other rodeo. It sounds stupid, but you can’t get overhyped. It’s just like we’re going to another major rodeo,” Webb said. “We’ve just been working out, roping, keeping Rudy legged up and trying to get after it every day.”