Roy the "Super Looper" Cooper was born in 1955 in Hobbs, New Mexico. He started his career early as a repeated youth champion at Junior Rodeos and progressed into an impressive rodeo career at Southeastern Oklahoma State University that included a 1975 Collegiate National Finals Rodeo Championship. Cooper burst onto the professional roping scene in 1976 earning PRCA Rookie of the Year honors while winning the Calf Roping championship, as well as his first of eight world titles. His family was no stranger to the Rodeo world with Dad—Dale "Tuffy" Cooper (a PRCA Cowboy and National Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee) and Roy's sister Betty Gayle (a champion herself in cowgirl events and in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame), Brother Clay and Cousin Jimmie (both professional rodeo cowboys).

In a professional career that has spanned five decades, Cooper has won eight individual world championships, including six tie-down roping titles, and the 1983 Triple Crown of World Championships; Roy Cooper was one of only 10 men in pro-rodeo to ever do so, and one of only 3 to hold multiple Triple Crown titles. Cooper became the first cowboy to break the two million dollar career earnings mark. His career includes a record 32 National Finals Rodeo arena records and holds one of the fastest average times in history at the Steer Roping Finals.

Roy Cooper is a member of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.