CORTEZ – Reflecting on the first time that he set foot on the Montezuma County Fairgrounds puts a big smile on Trey Yates’ face.
“This is where I came to my first junior high rodeo and won the goat-tying and I thought to myself, ‘Man, I love goat-tying!’” said Yates. While he didn’t stick with goat-tying much longer – just one more week by his recollection – his love for the sport sure persisted.
On Thursday night, he returned to the site of his humble beginnings as the third generation of one of rodeo’s royal families.
At the Ute Mountain Roundup rodeo on Thursday night, one of Colorado’s most storied rodeo families took center stage, with three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and 2018 NFR champion Trey Yates continuing the proud team roping tradition that made the Yates family one of the most dominant forces on the PRCA circuit.
The son of 21-time-NFR team roper J.D. Yates and the grandson of Dick Yates, a 13-time NFR roper, Yates has carved out his own incredibly successful career, which includes a College National Finals Rodeo title as part of his impressive 2018 campaign.
Yet for all of the high-profile wins that the 29-year-old Yates has notched during his time on circuit, victories like his 2024 title at the UMR rank just as prominently in his memory bank. “Winning in Cortez means just as much to me as the NFR average (victory in 2018),” said Yates, reflecting on collecting one of his five 2024 titles at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds. “You see the teams like Tanner Tomlinson and Travis Graves (No. 2 in the world) who make a point to come to Cortez – it’s a no-brainer to come to an event like this.”
While Thursday night at the UMR didn’t go as planned for Yates and his new partner Luke Brown, it’s just a blip in the radar on what Yates hopes will be a fantastic year, especially if it may be his curtain call on rodeo’s biggest circuit. Something he had been mulling for awhile is looking like it might come to fruition after this competitive year for Yates – taking over the family horse training business at their ranch on the outskirts of Pueblo while stepping back from his pursuit of rodeo competition at the highest level.
“It’s just time – I’ve been blessed with a good career and my family is everything to me,” Yates reflected about his prospective career shift, “I’ve prayed about it a lot, and its just what I want to do. I’d considered a thousand different places that I could live, but in the end, I don’t see myself leaving Pueblo for a long time.”
In the meantime, Yates has the full vision of going out with a bang – and he’s got the roping partner to make it happen.
Yates (heeler) and Luke Brown (header) opened up their team roping season with a victory at the National Western Stock Show in Denver – their first competition together. “That was a bucket list win for me – I’d been going to the Stock Show since I was six years old watching my dad and my aunt compete,” said Yates.
Since then, the duo have continued to build their rapport – along with their earnings. Brown and Yates came off a strong night in Woodward, Oklahoma on the Wednesday evening leading into the UMR as they hope their time of 4.7 seconds holds up and Yates takes his second straight win at the Woodward Elks Rodeo.
It’s a star-studded duo, with the 50-year-old Brown having made it to the biggest stage 15 times in his impressive career. There’s a strong level of trust that Yates and Brown have been able to develop in just the first six months of roping together, a foundational piece in the sport’s only tandem event.
“We have a good bond – he took me in like family,” said Yates of Brown, “he’s a grinder and works hard – I’m blessed to have Luke as a partner, especially if this is my farewell tour. We’ve made communication a priority and try to make the best plan possible for every steer we draw.”
The pair entered the UMR weekend sitting 15th in the PRCA standings, so with plenty of season still in front of them, the Pueblo, Colorado native can sense the urgency of each opportunity.
“One of the great things about this sport, no matter if its in a small town rodeo or one of the big ones, is that you don’t know what’s fixing to happen,” said Yates, “but the biggest thing I’ve done this year is learning how to ride out the highs and lows.”
Team roping with his father in competition early in his career helped Yates identify the importance of savoring each chance to push his limits. In addition to Trey, his aunt Kelly, a NFR finalist herself in barrel racing and the world runner-up in 2001, takes to the ring on Saturday, with the 66-year-old competing against riders one-third her age as she continues her pursuit to qualify for the Mountain States Circuit Finals.
“She craves the competition – rodeo’s in a person’s blood,” reflecting on the passion that he’s seen from his aunt, father and grandfather, “there’s a fire as a fierce competitor that never goes away.”
And while chasing the dreams of the NFR may be something that Yates steps away from in the coming months, there’s no doubt in his mind that he’s following his heart to the path of another passion – carrying on family tradition.
“God is amazing – He’s put people in my life to get me where I am now, and I feel blessed beyond measure,” said Yates, “and I don’t ever want to let my roots slip away.”
