In 2014, Fallon Taylor and her horse Babyflo won their first world title.
Chevrolet is hiring professional rodeo stars Tuf Cooper, Fallon Taylor, Richmond Champion, Luke Branquinho and Travis Graves, calling them Team Chevy Rodeo.
They will be driving new 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD High Country pickups with integrated cruise control, powertrain grade braking and diesel exhaust braking to enhance control when towing.
Team Chevy Rodeo
Tuf Cooper – Tie-down Roping
Born: 1/31/1990 Childress, Texas
Career Earnings: $1,423,024
World Titles Won: 3 (2011-12, 2014)
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifications: 7 (2008-14)
Tuf Cooper is the son of eight-time world champion and ProRodeo Hall of Famer Roy “Super Looper” Cooper. Tuf won his first all-around title at the age of six at an Earth, Texas High Plains Junior Rodeo Association event in 1996. After achieving a personal best of 6.6 seconds at the Snake River Stampede in 2009, Tuf Cooper went on to win three world titles, becoming the youngest cowboy to surpass $1 million in career earnings.
Fallon Taylor – Barrel Racing
Born: 7/18/1982 Tampa, Fla.
Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Career Earnings: $716,069
World Titles: 1 (2014)
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifications: 6 (1995-98, 2013-14)
Fallon Taylor qualified for four consecutive National Finals Rodeos (1995-98) as a teenager. Though a career in acting and modeling drew her away from the sport, Taylor has always had the drive to ride — even after breaking her C2 vertebra in 2009. In 2014, Fallon and her horse Babyflo won their first world title.
Richmond Champion – Bareback Riding
Born: 12/16/1992 Orange County, Calif.
Career Earnings: $1,361,234
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifications: 1 (2014)
Richmond Champion became the first man in rodeo to win $1 million in one day when he took first place at The American in 2014. Though he started as a bull rider at age 13, Champion switched to bareback riding in 2010 at the urging of his brother and has not looked back, making his way to third in the world standings in a few years.
Luke Branquinho – Steer Wrestling
Born: 9/17/1980 Santa Maria, Calif.
Career Earnings: $2,285,732
World Titles Won: 5 (2004, 2008, 2011-12, 2014)
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifications: 13 (2001-04, 2006-14)
The most decorated member of Team Chevy Rodeo, Luke Branquinho embodies strength and resilience, whether managing his type I diabetes while riding with an insulin pump, or coming back from a season-ending back injury to win his fifth world title in 2014.
Travis Graves – Team Roping, Heeling
Born: 3/1/1984 Jay, Oklahoma
Career Earnings: $1,147,091
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifications: 6 (2008, 2010-14)
Heeler Travis Graves has been focused on winning his first world title ever since he won the International Finals Youth Rodeo heeling title in 2001. After breaking the regular-season earnings record for team roping heelers in 2010, the five-time WNFR qualifier has been steadily climbing the world standings, finishing in second place in 2014.
