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 10th 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.”

Lea County Fair and Rodeo
Lovington, N.M.
Aug. 7-10
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Richmond Champion, 85 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Cat Ballou; 2. Orin Larsen, 84; 3. Jacek Frost, 82; 4. Weston Timberman, 81.5; 5. Cole Reiner, 78; no other qualified rides.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Gary Gilbert, 3.7 seconds; 2. Riley Duvall, 4.0; 3. Grady Payne, 4.4; 4. Brandon Harrison, 4.6; 5. Tucker Allen, 4.7; 6. (tie) Jake Shelton and Riley Westhaver, 5.0; 8. Zane Cline, 5.2. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Gary Gilbert and Jacob Edler, 4.0 seconds; 3. Justin Shaffer, 4.2; 4. Jake Shelton, 4.4; 5. Marc Joiner, 4.6; 6. Shane Frey, 4.8; 7. Grady Payne, 5.0; 8. Colt Honey, 5.1. Average leaders: 1. Gary Gilbert, 7.7 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Jake Shelton and Grady Payne, 9.4; 4. Marc Joiner, 10.2; 5. Jacob Edler, 10.4; 6. Colt Honey, 10.9; 7. Riley Westhaver, 11.4; 8. Ty Cochrane, 13.8

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Blane Cox, 9.0 seconds; 2. Tyler Calhoun, 9.4; 3. (tie) Chet Weitz and Marty Yates, 9.5; 5. (tie) Paden Bray and Austin Lawrence, 9.7; 7. Joel Harris, 9.8; 10. Cole Clemons, 9.9. Second round leaders: 1. Kincade Henry, 8.2 seconds; 2. Marty Yates, 8.3; 3. Ty Harris, 8.7; 4. Monty Lewis, 9.4; 5. Cade Wallis, 9.5; 6. Lane Livingston, 9.6; 7. Blane Cox, 9.9; 8. Cole Clemons, 10.3. Average leaders: 1. Marty Yates, 17.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Kincade Henry, 18.4; 3. Blane Cox, 18.9; 4. Ty Harris, 19.3; 5. Cole Clemons, 20.2; 6. Paden Bray, 20.3; 7. Tanner Green, 23.8; 8. Tom Crouse, 23.8.

Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.2 seconds; 2. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney and Hali Williams, 2.3; 4. Timber Allenbrand, 2.4; 5. (tie) Jessi Everett and Macy Young, 2.6; 7. Shacie Marr, 2.7; 8. Weslynn Reno, 3.1; 9. (tie) Janae Todacheenie and Codie Harmon, 3.2. Second round leaders: 1. Haiden Thompson, 2.3 seconds; 2. Cheyanne McCartney, 2.7; 3. Hali Williams, 2.8; 4. (tie) Taylor Munsell and Bailey Bates, 3.0; 6. Jade Mitchell, 4.8; 7. (tie) Martha Angelone and Maddy Deerman, 12.3; 9. Shacie Marr, 15.4. Average leaders: 1. Cheyanne McCartney, 5.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Hali Williams, 5.1; 3. (tie) Haiden Thompson and Bailey Bates, 15.5; 5. Maddy Deerman, 15.7; 6. Timber Allenbrand, 2.4 seconds on one run; 7. (tie) Jessi Everett and Macy Young, 2.6; 9. Janae Todacheenie, 3.2; 10. Jayden Rodriguez, 3.3. 

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Tanner Butner, 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Chilly Winds; 2. Isaac Diaz, 86; 3. (tie) Shorty Garrett and Cooper Thatcher, 84.5; 5. Bryan Huey, 79; 6. Levi Mines, 77; 7. Jake Finlay, 76; 8. Gus Galliard, 74.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Cody Snow/Hunter Koch and Roan Oldfield/Jake South, 5.1 seconds; 3. Jr. Dees/Coleby Payne, 5.3; 4. Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins II, 5.6; 5. Cory Kidd V/Will Woodfin, 5.8; 6. Chet Weitz/Faron Candelaria, 5.9; 7. James Arviso/Logan Moore, 6.0; 8. Cash Duty/Trae Smith, 6.8. Second round leaders: 1. Tyson Charley/Cameron Tsinigine, 4.8 seconds; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 5.1; 3. Cody Snow/Hunter Koch, 5.4; 4. (tie) Cash Duty/Trae Smith and Will Eddleman/Heryn Ellerd, 5.7; 6. Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins, 6.3; 4. 7. Kelsey Phillips/Myles John, 8.5; 8. Shay Carroll/Levi Lord, 10.3. Average leaders: 1. Cody Snow/Hunter Koch, 10.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Jeff Flenniken/Buddy Hawkins, 11.9; 3. Cash Duty/Trae Smith, 12.5; 4. Cory Kidd/Will Woodfin, 16.3; 5. Shay Carroll/Levi Lord, 17.9; 6. Roan Oldfield/Jake South, 20.8; 7. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 22.2; 8. Tyson Charley/Cameron Tsinigine, 4.8 seconds on one run.

Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Quay Howard, 11.6 seconds; 2. Kyle Couthorn, 12.2; 3. Jarett Holliday, 15.6; 4. Reo Lohse, 16.0; 5. Wade Shoemaker, 16.7; 6. (tie) Mike Chase and Don Eddleman, 16.8; 8. Cash Fretwell, 17.7. Second round leaders: 1. Ivan Bigsby, 12.6 seconds; 2. Trenton Johnson, 12.9; 3. Will Eddleman, 13.0; 4. Cash Myers, 13.1; 5. Micah Northington, 13.2; 6. Blake Deckard, 13.9; 7. Dalton Walker, 14.2; 8. Bobby Roberts, 14.3. Third round leaders: 1. Cash Myers, 11.5; 2. Cash Fretwell, 13.4; 3. Ivan Bigsby, 13.6; 4. Ryan Willberg, 14.3; 5. Jarret Holliday, 15.2; 6. (tie) Joseph Allen and Wade Shoemaker, 15.6; 8. Micah Northington, 17.1. Average leaders: 1. Wade Shoemaker, 47.1 seconds on three runs; 2. Don Eddleman, 51.0; 3. Cash Fretwell, 57.1; 4. Cash Myters, 24.6 seconds on two runs; 5. Ivan Bigsby, 26.2; 6. Micah Northington, 30.3; 7. Jarett Hollliday, 30.8; 8. Ryan Willberg, 31.8.

Barrel racing leaders: 1. Emily Beisel, 17.44 seconds; 2. Emma Parr, 17.58; 3. Paige Jones, 17.75; 4. Avery Ledesma, 17.78; 5. Tara Seaton, 17.80; 6. (tie) Ruby Lightfoot and Kirstin Carlson, 17.93; 8. Jamie Olsen, 17.94; 9. Morgan Addison, 17.98; 10. Sadie Troyer, 18.04; 11. Cindy Smith, 18.25; 12. Fallon Taylor, 18.41; 13. Margo Smith, 18.57; 14. Natasha Sanchez, 18.76; 15. Ilyssa Riley, 18.85.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Rawley Johnson, 86.5 points on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s Black Magic; 2. (tie) Qynn Andersen and Jessi Petri, 85; 4. (tie) Tyce Willis and Ramo De Souza, 81.5; 6. Brad Moreno, 80; no other qualified rides.