ProRodeo Sports News - April 28, 2023

Yeahquo brothers claim crown Four years into the SAN ANGELO RODEO SAN ANGELO, TEXAS

ProRodeo careers of J.C. and L.J. Yeahquo and the Mandaree, N.D., team ropers are beginning to make their presence felt. Last season, the brothers finished 46th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. They are hoping to take the next step in their careers in 2023. A win inside the Playoff Series at the San Angelo (Texas) Rodeo will only help their cause. The duo clocked a 3.9-second run in the finals to wrap up the average title with 12.3 seconds on three head. They said there’s nothing like winning a rodeo of that magnitude with the person you’ve roped with your whole life. “This is definitely the biggest win of our careers,”

Ric Andersen photo Header J.C. Yeahquo, right, makes a catch to setup L.J. Yeahquo’s heel shot. The brothers won the San Angelo Rodeo with a 12.3-second time in the three-head average.

As of April 19, the team sits eighth in the world standings with their sights set on their first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification this season. L.J. acknowledged he doesn’t necessarily know what it will require to punch their ticket, but they plan on doing everything in their power to be in Las Vegas next winter. “I don’t know what it’s going to take yet, I’ve never been there,” he said. “But we are going to take it step by step and steer by steer and God willing we will be there.” Justin Smith picks up key tie-down roping victory Justin Smith didn’t have the season he wanted a year ago, but in rodeo, cowboys must look out the windshield instead of the rear-view mirror. Smith qualified for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2021, but then adversity struck. His good horse Doc went down with an injury, which forced the Leesville, La., tie-down roper to find a new mount. The rest of the season didn’t go as planned. He finished outside of the top 50 of the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $17,545, which kept him from qualifying for a majority of the big winter rodeos, except for one. That was the San Angelo Rodeo. He made the most of his opportunity at the PRCA Playoff Series rodeo. After laying down a 6.9-second run in Round 2, he came into the finals with the lead on two head. He took care of the rest with an 8.4-second run to secure the average title with 23.7 seconds on three head. “I didn’t get into any of the other big rodeos this year,” said Smith, 25. “I just kind of took some time off and seasoned a horse last year after mine went down. That made it to where this was about the only one that I got into. So, to capitalize like this in San Angelo it means everything.” He said having his horse Doc back underneath him is a feeling unlike any other. “I’ve rode that horse since I was in junior high,” he said. “I’ve rode him my entire life, he’s pretty much the only horse I’ve really ever had.”

said L.J. Yeahquo, 23. “As far as winning with my brother, I don’t know anything else. It’s feast or famine with us. We win together, but we also lose together as well.” It’s been a dream season for them up to this point. “The season has been good, we have been able to keep our horses working good and roping really well,” said C.J. Yeahquo. “It helps that we’ve had some doors open up for us along the way.”

Ric Andersen photo Tie-down roper Justin Smith kicked his 2023 season in gear by claiming the victory at the San Angelo Rodeo.

ProRodeo Sports News 4/28/2023

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