ProRodeo Sports News - April 30, 2021

Wade, Yates earn crucial springtime win at Clovis Consistent TOP SCORES

BY NEAL REID, Special to ProRodeo Sports News T yler Wade was looking for a big score. Trey Yates was just looking for a win. The talented tandem put together four solid runs to take the average at the Clovis (Calif.) Rodeo April 22-25, edging Riley and Brady Minor 39.1 seconds to 40.2 and putting $6,822 in each of their wallets. The victory was huge for Yates – the 2018 National Finals Rodeo average champion – since it broke a winless streak of nearly two years for the 25-year-old from Pueblo, Colo. “It was a crucial win and was my first win since I won Cheyenne with Dustin Bird in 2019,” said Yates, who vaulted from 26th to 14th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings thanks to the breakthrough. “It’s been a long time coming, and it’s been a rough couple years rodeoing. A win definitely makes us feel like we could get the ball rolling again.” They finished out of the money in the first two rounds with runs of 8.6 and 11.8 seconds, respectively, then took second place with an 8.5 in the third round and fourth in the finals after stopping the clock in 10.2. Those workmanlike runs leftWade and Yates atop the leaderboard when the dust settled. “The setup was so tough, it was just a matter of getting by the tough steers and using the good ones,” saidWade, who sits eighth in the heading standings. “We had two good ones and two that really, really ran. So, just being consistent and just catching them all was the key.” Yates, who finished third in the world in 2018 with 2015World Champion Aaron Tsinigine, had slumped since that magical season. The highly touted roper admits self-doubt crept in during the winless streak, but it also was good since it helped him learn a lot about himself and the sport. “There were definitely times when I doubted myself, especially coming off an amazing year,” Yates said. “I’ve told a few people this, but I think it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to my rodeo career. I had a little bit of an expectation factor after 2018 where I felt like I deserved to be (at the NFR), and that’s just not the case. “There are so many guys who rope good, and everybody’s hungry. I’ve had to work harder, get my horses to work better and work on my mind game, more than anything, to believe in myself.” Wade earned plenty of frequent flyer miles zooming back and forth to Clovis from his home in Terrell, Texas, between rounds. He was riding a horse named Buckskin YY, owned by Yates’ father, 21-time NFR qualifier J.D. Wade is optimistic about the rest of the season, although he won’t eyeball the standings too often. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in that horse, Trey and

TOP MONEY WINNER Boudreaux Campbell, bull riding ($9,519) BAREBACK RIDING

Campbell

1. Tilden Hooper ...................... 90.5 pts. 2. Jamie Howlett ............................. 87.5 Two tied at ..................................... 86 STEER WRESTLING 1. S. Guenthner ............... 17.3 sec. on 4 2. J.D. Struxness ............................ 17.6 3. Blake Knowles ............................ 19.8 TEAM ROPING 1. T. Wade/T. Yates .......... 39.1 sec. on 4 2. R. Minor/B. Minor ....................... 40.2 3. K. Driggers/J. Nogueira .............. 40.3 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Dawson Hay ............................ 89 pts. 2. Jake Watson .................................. 88 3. Shorty Garrett ............................. 86.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Jake Pratt .................... 39.1 sec. on 4 2. Ryle Smith .................................. 39.2 (Tie) Westyn Hughes ................... 39.2 BARREL RACING 1. M. Champion ............. 50.88 sec. on 3 2. Nellie Miller ............................... 50.96 3. Tiany Schuster .......................... 51.08 BULL RIDING 1. Boudreaux Campbell ............... 88 pts. 2. Stetson Wright ............................ 87.5 3. Parker Breding ............................... 87

$7,517 Steer wrestler Scott Guenthner continued to stay hot. Just two weeks after winning the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo and more than $16,000, Guenthner earned $7,517 at the Clovis Rodeo, climbing to third in the PRCA | RAM World Standings.

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Trey’s horse,” saidWade, a three-time NFR qualifier. “Staying steady the whole season is what’s important, but big wins like Clovis are crucial. They make up for a lot of mistakes, and winning $7,000 in one spot eases the pain for some of the other ones. “We’ve got big plans and high hopes.”

ProRodeo Sports News 4/30/2021

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