Battle-Tested Bull Rider Regains Stride While Climbing the World Standings

No money, no problems. After all, Cooper James has faced worse.

For a brief stretch, the Erda, Utah, bull rider was struggling. Following a $5,300 check at the Lawton (Okla.) Xtreme Bulls the first weekend of April, James earned just $217 over nearly a two-month period. Along the way, he suffered a tear in his quad that forced him to sit out a majority of May.

For some cowboys, that might be enough to let doubt creep in. But given the level of adversity James has seen the last two years, those struggles felt more like a blip.

“That’s the hardest part – I feel that in our sport, you’re not winning every time and you’re going to lose a whole lot more than you win. So you better be mentally tough getting out there,” James said. “I feel like that’s what has helped me. Training the mental side is just as, if not more, important than the physical side.”

A year after being sidelined for the back end of the 2025 season, James continues returning to form, with several impressive recent showings.

Since his return from that quad tear in early June, the up-and-coming cowboy has earned almost $43,500 in about six weeks. That includes a $9,999 payday for placing second at the Cody/Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls event on June 30, a $7,000 round win at the Calgary Stampede and more than $12,700 for his victory on Wednesday at the Ute Stampede Rodeo Xtreme Bulls event in Nephi, Utah.

It’s a microcosm of his experience as a PRCA competitor, which has included just about every high and low available.

By the end of the 2024 season, he had reached unparalleled heights, earning Bull Riding Resistol Rookie of the Year, finishing No. 3 in the world standings and nearly capturing the average title at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo with more than $212,000 in winnings from Las Vegas.

Months later, those achievements often felt like a distant memory.

In May 2025, James suffered a tear in his groin. He recovered for a month only to come back in early July and receive three broken ribs and a punctured lung his first time back in the arena. A few days later, he tore his adductor muscle.

Every time something went wrong, James made a commitment to bouncing back quickly. This time, he knew he needed to take a different approach.

“I decided it was time to go home for the year. It was mentally draining to say the least,” James said of his 2025 experience. “I feel like anybody can get in the habit of feeling sorry for themselves and being down on themselves. And that was the worst part for me. I knew I was willing to put in the work and I was going to come back stronger. I knew as soon as October 1 came around, I was going to be out there on the hunt.”

Not surprisingly, that’s exactly what he did.

Through his first six rides towards the 2026 season, James placed five times, earning a combined $15,529 by the end of October. Because he hadn’t qualified for places like Fort Worth, San Antonio or Denver, he took alternate routes to big checks, cashing in at several Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo events along with Xtreme Bulls outings.

It’s added up to put him back inside the top 15 of the PRCA World Standings. He’s rapidly approaching $100,000 for the season, aiming for a return to the NFR this December after being relegated to spectator last year.

He’s endured injuries and setbacks which have caused plenty of physical anguish. But through those moments, James has developed a hardened mentality, one that should continue to serve him well on the road ahead.

“I’m still keeping in mind that it’s a marathon, not a sprint out here. Everybody loves to be in the top five right now, but I know if I can maintain that top 15 spot, it’s great,” James said. “I’m in a great spot and there’s a whole lot of money and a whole lot of bulls I can ride. It’s a big confidence booster knowing I’m still in there, still in a good spot. I’m just going to keep maintaining it.”

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