Roping Royalty

The Yates Family is team roping royalty. Grandpa Dick Yates roped with his son J.D. at 13 Wrangler National Finals Rodeos, and J.D. roped at eight more for a total of 21 qualifications. The first of those qualifications made him the youngest to ever compete at rodeo's Super Bowl when he was 15 in 1975. J.D. has gone on to win nearly 50 AQHA world championships, while Trey won his first AQHA world title in 2021. J.D. has won numerous American Rope Horse Futurity Association world titles and a Royal Crown championship, too. Trey is a three-time NFR heeler in his own right, and he won the average title there at his first Finals in 2018 behind Aaron Tsinigine. In their series on Roping.com, members spend an entire day in the practice pen with Dick, J.D. and Trey working through dozens of horses young and old.