ProRodeo Sports News - January 8, 2021

WACO, TEXAS

Less than a month after narrowly missing world title, Yates takes Waco Moving On TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY WINNER Marty Yates, tie-down roping, $5,669 BAREBACK RIDING

BY TRACY RENCK T he sting was still there. Three weeks removed frommissing out on a world championship by a mere $231 to Shad Mayfield, veteran tie-down roper Marty Yates still ached from the loss. “After it was all said and done, it stunk,” said Yates, 26. “It was like salt on an open wound.” On Dec. 12, Yates finished sixth in Round 10 at the 2020Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, with an 8.1-second time and netted a $4,231 check. Had he placed fifth or better – Shane Hanchey was fifth at 8.0 seconds – Yates would have been the world champ. “I really wasn’t supposed to beat him (Mayfield), no one was supposed to be able to catch him,” said Yates, who has qualified for the last seven NFRs. “Then, I realized I had the opportunity and I let it slip through my fingers. I’m just going to use that as motivation to kick some butt this year.” The Stephenville, Texas, cowboy regrouped nicely, winning the average and year-end titles at the RAMTexas Circuit Finals Rodeo at the Extraco Events Center inWaco, Jan. 2. Yates secured the average victory with a 6.9-second run in the finals Jan. 2. That time split the win in the finals and gave him the average with a 21.8-second time on three head. Yates earned $5,669 during the three-day RAMTCFR, which also earned him the Texas Circuit year-end title. He won the first round (7.5 seconds), the second round (7.4 seconds) and shared the win in the finals with Cory Solomon and Tuf Cooper. “It felt good to get back out there,” Yates said. “I got to ride Buster here, and that was a big plus. He’s always the reason for a lot of my success, especially on big stages. He made my job really easy.” Buster, 18, had been sidelined since March but returned to action at the NFR. Aboard Buster, Yates won Round 1 and Round 2 in Arlington, took second in Round 9 and sixth in Round 10 for second in the average and $142,000 at the NFR. The Texas Circuit year-end title was Yates’ third, adding to his 2014 and 2019 titles. He also is a two-time RAMTCFR average champ, first winning the honor in 2017. By winning the average and the year-end Texas Circuit crowns, Yates qualified for the RAMNational Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee, Fla., April 9-10. Yates won the NCFR in 2016 in Kissimmee. Circuit systemmoney earned in 2021 counts toward the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. “It’s great the (circuit) money counts (toward the world standings),” Yates said. “That’s the reason I rode Buster down there (in Waco), to get an early jump on things not knowing how the rodeo season throughout the winter is going to be. You have to scratch out every dollar you can, and the little checks do count.

Yates

1. Leighton Berry ............. 255 pts. on 3 2. Lane McGehee ............................ 251 3. Will Lowe ................................. 249.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Dylan Schroeder ......... 16.5 sec. on 3 2. Cade Goodman .......................... 20.4 3. Rowdy Parrott ............................ 24.0 TEAM ROPING 1. K.Driggers/L.Mitchell ..24.0 sec. on 3 2. T. Wade/R. Motes ....................... 25.8 3. Two tied at .................. 14.0 sec. on 2 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Wyatt Casper ............. 249.5 pts. on 3 2. Brody Cress ........................ 175 on 2 3. Isaac Diaz ................................. 165.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Marty Yates ................. 21.8 sec. on 3 2. Caleb Smidt ............................... 24.8 3. Marcos Costa ............................. 28.9 STEER ROPING 1. Shay Good .................. 41.8 sec. on 3 2. Scott Snedecor .................. 23.2 on 2 3. Cody Lee .................................... 24.7 BULL RIDING 1. Cole Melancon ............. 170 pts. on 2 2. Trey Benton III ............................ 169 3. Jeff Askey ................................ 165.5

Complete results/Page 42

James Phifer photo Marty Yates competes with his horse, Buster, during the RAM Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo in Waco. Yates won the year-end and average titles at the Extraco Events Center.

“A lot of people think winning sixth isn’t that big of a deal, but when you come down to a world title under $300 you start thinking about those smaller checks you let slip through your fingers. I haven’t changed my game, I’m just perfecting my craft. I’m just getting better at going fast.”

ProRodeo Sports News 1/8/2021

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