The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on Tuesday two lawsuits over allegations that star calf ropers rigged a rodeo were dismissed.
According to the Telegram, court records showed how the controversy started, including details of contention between Tuf Cooper and Cole Bailey, a part-time cowboy.
In the affidavit, Bailey accused Cooper of asking him to participate in a scheme where Cooper would be guaranteeing a cut of a possible $1 million prize.
Cooper, from nearby Decatur, didn’t return requests from the Telegram for comment.
RFD-TV Events sued both Tuf Cooper and Timber Moore back in August.
Telegram reporter Ryan Osborne reports the dispute stemmed from RFD’s The American Rodeo on March 1, 2015, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
The one-day event offered prizes of $100,000 to winners of seven different rodeo competitions. And there was also a bonus reward for cowboys who qualified for the event – rather than those who were invited.
According to the affidavit, the idea was to allow Bailey or Reese Riemer, another roper, to collect $100,000 for winning the competition and then take home part or all of a $1 million side pot.
Riemer won the event with a time of 7.59 seconds with Cooper second, Moore third and Bailey fourth.
Cooper then approached Bailey and told him the winnings would be split.
The Arlington Police Department looked into the incident, but the investigation closed for lack of witness cooperation, the Telegram reported.
Riemer countersued RFD-TV in a federal court in February, which detailed threats and the company used his photo as a marketing tool before the 2016 event.
It was unclear how the lawsuits were resolved, the Telegram reported, and Tarrant County court records show the cases were now closed. Read more in the Oct. 22 Bowie News.

Decatur’s Tuf Cooper. (Courtesy photo)