When the last chunk of earth finally settled back to the arena floor at the 62nd Annual Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo, New Mexico’s Jim Ross Cooper emerged as the lone cash-winner in multiple events to seal the honor as the 2013 All-Around Champion. He joined a host of buckle-winners that included Oakdale’s Norm Mendenhall, a team roping champion alongside Allen Pruitt. Local cowboys Joe Murry (Oakdale) and Frank Perry claimed top honor is the 50-and-over Gold Card team roping event as well.

Luke Branquinho of Las Alamos took top honor in steer wrestling while Tuff Cooper snared tie-down prestige. Other winners included Jesse Wright (saddle bronc), Coleman Proctor and Caleb Twisslermann (team roping), Tiffany Schuster (barrel racing), Seth Hardwick (bareback riding) and Brennan Eldred (bull riding).

The Rodeo was projected to award a record earnings, with record attendance and one of the deepest pools of participants in its’ illustrious history.

“I like to sling the term ‘world class’ around when I am describing the Oakdale Rodeo, but this truly was the best of the best,” Oakdale Rodeo Media Director Kevin Fox said. “Everybody brought their game and it could not have been better.

“It was nonstop action.”

For more information and photos from the 2013 Oakdale Rodeo, catch the April 17 print edition of the Oakdale Leader.