LOVINGTON, N.M. – Horsepower is vital for every cowboy, but it’s a major component to success when it comes to rodeo.
Ask Marty Yates. He’s had his share of top horses, which have helped guide him to 10 National Finals Rodeo qualifications over the last 11 years. He’s got another one in Snoop, a 6-year-old gelding that helped push him into tie-down roping’s top spot with two big runs Thursday at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo.
“This brown horse is the key,” said Yates, 31, of Stephenville, Texas. “I scored good, but he just gave me a great throw and gave me a good go from the stirrup. He’s just so easy to rope on. He’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Snoop is a bit of a prodigy, still young but able to do some amazing things. Speed is vital in the timed events, and the brown bombshell made things happen quickly. Yates is tied for third place in the first go-round after posting a 9.5-second run Thursday morning. He followed that with an 8.3 in the nightcap and has a six-tenths of a second lead on the field with two days remaining at Lovington’s rodeo.
“I’ve placed here and there, whether it be a round or in the average,” Yates said. “I’ve almost always left with some money out of the Lea County Fair.”
Those dollars are important. Only the top 15 contestants on the money list in each event when the season concludes Sept. 30 will advance to the NFR, the sport’s Super Bowl that takes place over 10 days in Las Vegas. A year ago, for example, Yates won the second round and finished fifth in the aggregate race in southeastern New Mexico to pocket $5,300. He returned to the finale after missing it in 2023.
Yates is 10 th in the world standings with $105,155. That seems like a lot, but it’s relative. Two cowboys – Riley Webb and Shad Mayfield – sit 1-2 on the money list but have also earned $100,000-plus more than Yates. It just takes more money than it used to in order to play for the biggest pay in the game, so taking advantage of good calves and cashing in when opportunities allow
“I didn’t know a whole lot about that calf,” Yates said. “This is just the second time these were ever even roped. They were fresh this morning.
“I got a really good start. My horse worked really good and gave me the advantage.”
It all comes back to the equine partner. The better the horses are, the better the runs can be. Even at just 6, Snoop is proving to be an asset.
“We’ve been seasoning him on our way to Vegas,” Yates said. “We’ll get to do some more seasoning out there on him.
“It’s cool to be able to have a year like this. The last couple of years were kind of a struggle. I made the finals once out of the last two years, but I was just never confident about any of my roping. I’ve finally got a horse that actually wants to do it, and I can be competitive again.”
Twisted Rodeo
by Ted Harbin
View article on Twisted Rodeo
