The Missing Puzzle Piece

The Missing P zzle Piece

An Interview with Trey Yates Trey Yates

Rodeo Life: You’re coming up on your second Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) qualification. What did you learn from your past attempt at the World Title that will help you this year at your run for that gold buckle? Do you feel that having previous experience competing at the WNFR gives you a leg up in the competition?

Trey Yates: I didn't really know what my goal was the first year I made the WNFR, it was just kind of a blur. It was an exciting moment in life – a dream come true and I lived it like a dream. We roped ten steers and won the average. I shouldn't say I have a higher expectation or expect more out of myself. I want to go have a good time and rope the steers we draw. We just go do our jobs and let the chips fall where they will. That's my goal: to do my best to rope two feet every night. Experience is always a plus, but you can't go there knowing what to expect or expecting anything because the Thomas and Mack is a unique place, it is small, things happen really fast, and it's a reaction game. You just have to do your best to prepare. We work really hard to try to develop muscle memory and put our confidence in our horses and our roping and hope that puts us in a position to win.

RL: With your family being so active in rodeo throughout your life, especially your dad with 21 NFR qualifications, did you always know you were going to grow up and be a rodeo cowboy? What would it mean to you to bring a World Champion Title to the Yates legacy?

TY: I did not. I never had a plan. I’m just kind of a day-to-day person. I know what my goals are now. But no, it probably wasn't until about 16 that I wanted to be serious about roping. I liked everything about roping and rodeoing when I was that age because I'm a social butterfly. I liked to go to the High School rodeos and see my friends and I liked roping because it was what I was doing while I was there. But my family never pushed roping or rodeo on me. Whatever I was going to end up doing I was going to put forth my best effort. I was going to have a big support system behind me, whether it was golf, tennis, soccer or football, just anything. I'm going to do it 100%. I never had that pressure to rodeo at a young age and it opened my heart to solidifying that that's what I wanted to do, and I did my best to run with it. I'm very thankful for my family. They have a huge work ethic and I've tried to attain that.

The gold buckle is the only missing puzzle piece to our family. That's the only win really missing amongst our family. There have been wins at Reno, Cheyenne, Pendleton, any of the majors whether it's a single event or an All-Around they've done it. The list goes on and on.

My dad has told me many times that he wouldn't take anything back in life or trade it for buckles. He found a way to make a living and ran with it. Money was an objective for them; they didn't have a lot of money back in the day when they were rodeoing. But now my dad has put together a huge thing with his horse show and he's made it where I'm able to go rodeoing. I'm very thankful for that. I'd be lying if I said I haven't dreamt about winning a gold buckle but at the end of the day, it's just about roping and having fun.

RL: How did it feel to have the fastest run of your career at the Fiesta Days Rodeo this year? How do you plan to bring that energy into the Thomas and Mack Center this December?

TY: I had never been three and Tyler Wade told me, “Don’t worry partner we’re going to be 3.” That night we knew we had a good steer. It was probably one of the most relaxed time of g

mine going into a run. It was not a crazy run. Tyler got a good start, got him on a short rope, set him up where I could heel him fast, and we got a good finish. It wasn't overly spectacular. It wasn't out of control. It was sharp – there were no flaws in the run. We had a clear state of mind and a lot of focus. We had good horses and we had a good steer so everything came together. That all goes into the preparation with the horses with your mindset. The steers dictate what you win and we had a good steer and capitalized on it. If we can put those runs together on the right steers in the Thomas and Mack, we could win.

RL: How did it feel to win the Average NFR Title on your first qualification in 2018? What is your ultimate goal for your rodeo career?

TY: It felt amazing. A lot of people consider it the second most covenant buckle to the gold buckle. There are a lot of great ropers who go there for several years and don't do that. My partner turned me 10 steers and I roped a couple legs, but we were the only team to catch all ten. The conditions are tough in the Thomas and Mack, and to get it felt like a major accomplishment.

I don't ever want to rodeo myself in a hole. I don't ever want to put myself in a position that I'm not financially stable. There's something about showing up on a horse and being fully ready to compete at all times. When it all comes together, it’s a very gratifying feeling. I'm just thankful that I was raised to take care of business and be as prepared as I can be at all times. I look at the guys who are winning, like Stetson Wright, he's in a league of his own. He is there for one reason only and that is to win and all of the pieces are put together before he gets there. That's what I strive to do, and I'm not near on the same scale, but someday I want to be. I've taken up a liking for steer roping. My dad has helped me a lot. I'm fortunate to have good people on my side. Making the Steer Roping Finals is a goal of mine – it’s something I really want to do. I have high expectations for myself. When I show up to the Steer Roping, I want to be a competitor, I don't want to be just another guy that's entered.

RL: How much do you rely on your heading partner and your heading partner rely on you? What makes a good team successful?

TY: Tyler and I have the same goals. He's very talented and he wants to win. He wakes up and he craves roping and he craves winning. That's all I’ve wanted to do. That's all I've ever known, and that's the environment I wake up in every day. We've roped a lot of steers together and have developed a feel for each other’s roping styles. We get along well and have made some amazing runs this year. There's little room for error in Team Roping. There is a huge reliance on your partner. I have confidence in him and I try to keep myself confident. I trust in our ability, our horses, and let the rest take care of itself.

RL: What made you choose Team Roping over the other roping events? What about Heeling over Heading?

TY: Honestly, I headed more growing up. I just started heeling one day. Growing up, calf roping was hard for me because I was little. I worked at it in spurts, but never enough to really excel. Looking back, I’d give anything to be able to rope calves competitively. I think about it every day. I'd love to be a good calf roper. I would have to put a lot of time into it at this point in my career, well over half my time to the calf roping. Ultimately, I've worked hard to get a good partner. I'm in a position that I have a great partner and I have a couple of great horses and I'm going to run with it as far as it will takes me.

RL: What is your favorite part about living the rodeo lifestyle? What is your least favorite?

TY: My favorite part is meeting people all over the world and making friendships or connections that last a lifetime. Hardly anywhere I go do I not have a place to put my horses up or stay. All that are from relationships that either I've built in my short rodeo career or from my dad through his career. It's pretty special. I don't know what my least favorite thing is. I mean, nobody likes losing. It's tough to not let the down times get you too down because on paper it looks pretty good when somebody has $100,000 won. But at some point, there was probably a dry spell and to fight through that is a hard thing. So, I guess my least favorite thing would be losing, but it makes you a better person and it makes you appreciate winning.

RL: Many speculate rodeo as a model of the American Dream. What does the American Dream mean to you and how has rodeo helped you achieve it?

TY: I have been able to see a lot of things and go to a lot of places with the rodeo. Every day I wake up and I get to work towards a goal, try to better myself as a person while doing something that I love to do. There's so much opportunity in life and so many different things people can do. I think you if you're working towards a goal and loving it, then you're living the American dream and for me, that just happens to be rodeo. I'm thankful for the opportunities my family has provided me with. I'm thankful for opportunities as far as where we get to go, what we get to do and the places we get to see. I get to do what I love to do and work for something and enjoy it. It's something I get to enjoy with my family and that means more to me than anything.

RL: What advice would you give anyone wanting to live and compete in the rodeo lifestyle? Do you have any advice for Team Roping Heelers specifically?

TY: Take it to a professional level if that's what you want to do. My family says there's no secret just hard work. It's a very humbling and rewarding sport. There are a lot of talented individuals and a lot of people that have devoted their whole life to it. If you want to be successful, that's what you have to do. Don't let a couple bad experiences crucify your outlook on rodeo. Every person that has been at the top has gone through it. It's just something that you have to learn to cope with, keep working harder, and set a high standard for yourself. Nobody can do it for you. At the end of the day, you have to work hard and keep a clear mind. That's one of the biggest things is keeping your mind clear. It’s something that I'm just now starting to let work on my side and it's really made a turn for the better in my career.

RL: Is there anything about Team Roping/Heeling or the rodeo industry that you would like people to know?

TY: Especially when you watch the WNFR, a lot of newcomers may think, “I can't wait to get there,” or, “when I make the Finals…” and I'm not saying don't set your goals high or set high standards for yourself, but nobody's going to give it to you. You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. There's no way around it. Don't think because you're a young kid with a lot of talent that things are always going to go your way because like I said, it's a very humbling sport. There's a reason for that. Whether it's $500 or $100,000, to win a PRCA Rodeo is an accomplishment – you overcame and capitalized on that opportunity. But don't think just because you are a young talent that there's not 100 other guys out there that are just as hungry and talented. If you think, even for one minute, it's going to come easy, they will take your money and not feel bad about it.