PRORODEO Sports News - July 2, 2026

RECENT PASSINGS

The second came in 1984 when father, Dick, and J.D. – in team rop ing – and sister Kelly in barrel racing became the only father-son-daughter trio to qualify for the National Finals. “Well, at the time, we did it as a job,” J.D. said about roping with his father. “He didn’t have a lot, so it had to be a job for us, and it was very lucrative. Inside the arena, we were partners, and outside the arena, we were father and son. He still played a father role, but when we were in the box, it was about doing our job and trying to win money because that’s what we had to do to keep going.” Beyond the rodeo arena, Dick Yates was a renowned horse trainer. “Well, at the time, there wasn’t a lot of rodeos and so I wanted to get a lot of other things going, and I needed to supplement my income, and that’s something that he taught me about – he was the first teacher I ever had – about the training and going forward with the horse. “He was known as a phenomenal horse trainer and he had a lot of great head horses that he sold to people who rode at the NFR. He was just a good individual.” Dick described the relationship he had with J.D. in a July 9, 2024, article written by Kendra Santos in the Team Roping Journal. “I was working for the state as a brand inspector a lot of those years, and when I was working, we only went to about 35 rodeos a year. As rodeo got bigger and it took more money to make the Finals, we went to a few more. But in the summertime, we went to a lot of rodeos where we were back home that night. “J.D. and I roped together as a business,” Dick said. “A lot of fathers and sons fuss and don’t get along, especially in the roping pen and when they’re working together. That was never a problem at our camp. We talked about things, but there was never any feuding or fussing about horses or missing. We went out there

to work at it and get better, so we could win money. Building a good rep utation was always important to me, whether I was roping or training and selling horses. J.D. went every where with me when he was a little guy and I was (brand) inspecting. He went with me to the sale barn and grew up around ranchers and didn’t ever get to play with other kids. He grew

J.D. Yates (Dick’s son), Dick Yates and Trey Yates (Dick’s grandson and J.D.’s son) PRCA file photo I’m still mad at old Jan for leaving so soon (his wife passed away, March 4, 2019, at the age of 79). She handled the books, paid all the bills and did all the cooking, and we miss her. But it’s been a good ride for my family and me.” J.D. offered these closing remarks about his father. “Oh, yeah, he never left anything on the table,” J.D. said. “He got to do what he wanted to do, and he was very gracious to his family and his grandson. And he was actually a ro deo fan. He loved the sport. He loved supporting it, and he loved competing in it.”

up around grownups, so he could talk to anybody about anything when he was just a little old kid.” Dick was inducted into the Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame in 1992. He attended McClave (Colo.) High School where he played basketball, baseball and ran track for the Cardi nals. He went to college at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Dick summed up his career in the article by Santos. “If you enjoy what you’re doing and work hard at it, you generally accomplish quite a bit,” Dick said. “Trey (J.D.’s son) fits right in. He gets up early and works hard, just like his dad. I’m proud of my family.

July 2, 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 57