Rodeo star Marty Yates wins tie-down rope at ABC Pro Rodeo
LEVELLAND — The 79th ABC Pro Rodeo tie-down title was there for the taking Saturday night.
Leave it to one of the most accomplished stringers in the sport.
The time to beat three performances was just 8.6 seconds and Marty Yates clocked a run of 7.7 seconds to win the three-day competition at the Mallet Event Center & Arena.
Yates has done almost everything in rodeo except win a world championship.
The 27-year-old from Stephenville has competed in the National Year-End Rodeo Finals eight years in a row and has won or shared first place 16 times in rounds of the NFR, which is a 10-round competition. He has finished in the top six of the world rankings in six of those eight years, but the closest he has come was second in 2020 and third in 2017.
At Levelland, he dislodged Jase Staudt, whose 8.6 had been leading since Thursday’s opening night.
The ABC Pro Rodeo started Wednesday with loose competition, then had four performances over three days.
The bronc saddle riding competition also saved the best for last with the top two finishers emerging from Saturday night’s performance. Ross Griffin, a 25-year-old from Tularosa, New Mexico, scored 84 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo Company’s Baby Face Nelson bronc Nutrena.
Leon Fountain, also in place Saturday night, had an 83-point ride that was good for second place. Fountain, a 26-year-old from Socorro, New Mexico, entered the week ranked seventh in the world rankings in the saddle bronc with season earnings of over $43,000 and he will add to that.
Winners of two events emerged from Saturday’s morning card. The judges scored Trevor Lattin for 83.5 points on Beutler & Son’s buttercup in bareback riding, and scored Jake Gardner for 87.5 points in bull riding.
Also on Saturday morning, wrestler Landris White raced 4.0 seconds and shared first place with Adam Musil, who clocked the same time on Thursday’s opening night.
As a team, Wyatt Bray and Will Woodfin posted a time of 6.0 seconds on Thursday and he held on all weekend for the win.
Five-time NFR qualifier Cheyenne Wimberley won fierce competition in the barrel race with a time of 17.11 seconds. Three-time world champion Hailey Kinsel and three-time NFR qualifier Emily Beisel tied for second at 17.13. The first seven were within five hundredths of a second.
The all-around cowboy title went to Wyatt Muggli, who competed in tie-down and team rigging. Muggli is a 26-year-old man from Lane, Oklahoma.
ABC PRO RODEO
Wednesday to Saturday
at the Mallet Event Center, Levelland
Final results
Versatile cowboy: Wyatt Muggli, $582, tie-down and team rope.
Bareback riding: 1. Trevor Lattin, 83.5 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Buttercup, $1,191; 2. (tie) Jacob Lees and Jayco Roper, 83, $776 each; 4. (tie) Jake Kesl, Mark Kreder and Brazos Winters, 76, $289 each.
Steer wrestling: 1. (tie) Adam Musil and Landris White, 4.0 seconds, $1,345 each; 3. (tie) Walt Arnold, Grady Payne and Justin Wilson, 4.3, $711 each; 6. Bryn Roy, 4.6, $254.
Team Stringing: 1. Wyatt Bray/Will Woodfin, 6.0 seconds, $1,164 each; 2. Jhett Trenary/Gralyn Elkins, 7.1, $873; 3. Wyatt Muggli/Casey McCleskey, 7.5, $582; 4. Shandon/Shank Edwards Stands, 8.7, $291.
Riding Saddle Bronc: 1. Ross Griffin, 84 points on Nutrena’s Babyface Nelson from Beutler & Son Rodeo, $1,787; 2. Fontaine Leon, 83, $1,354; 3. (tie) Keene Justesen and Tanner Lockhart, 80, $812 each; 5. Treyson Antonick, 79.5, $379; 6. Sawyer Firikson, 79, $271.
Tie-Down: 1. Marty Yates, 7.7 seconds, $1,656; 2. Jase Staudt, 8.6, $1,371; 3. Buck Tate, 8.8, $1,085; 4. Brody Stallard, 8.9, $799; 5. Richard Newton, 9.0, $514; 6. Zaine Mikita, 9.1, $286.
Barrel racing: 1. Cheyenne Wimberley, 17.11 seconds, $2,314; 2. (tie) Emily Beisel and Hailey Kinsel, 17.13, $1,794 each; 4. (tie) Bayleigh Choate and Kylee Scribner, 17.14, $1,273 each; 6. Lisa Lockhart, 17.15, $810; 7. Tamara Reinhardt, 17.16, $579; 8. Sissy Winn, 17.24, $463; 9. Dena Kirkpatrick, 17.28, $405; 10. Loni Lester, 17.29, $347; 11. Joann Middleton, 17.35, $289; 12. Jackie Ganter, 17.37, $231.
Bull Riding: 1. Jake Gardner, 87.5 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s All Star, $1,759; 2. Brody Yeary, 84, $1,333; 3. Brylen Dees, 79, $959; 4. Jett Lambert, 78, $640; 5. Lukasey Morris, 72, $373; 6. JorDee Nielsen, 49, $267.
Total gain: $47,287. Contractor in stock: Beutler & Son Rodeo. Rodeo Secretary: Dollie Riddle. Officials: Kent Crouch, Paul Cleveland and Travis Howe. Timekeepers: Jodi Crippen and Dollie Riddle. Presenter: Greg Simas. Specialty Act: John Harrison. Toreros: Evan Allard and Wacey Munsell. Clown/Cooper: John Harrison. Flanner: Matt Scott. Fall leaders: Bennie Beutler and Yandy Yarbrough. Collector: Yandy Yarbrough and Shandon Stalls. Musical Director: Jesse Knudsen. Photographers: David Seymore and Kay Miller.
