Athlete of the Week: Trey Yates Tops Rodeos Across Colorado and Wyoming

Four-time NFR heeler Trey Yates has been at the top of his game, placing at every rodeo he entered between July 9 and July 12. With consistency leading the way, Yates has established a comfortable lead in the Mountain States Circuit Standings.

NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo

Yates punched his ticket to Colorado Springs after winning the average at the 2025 Mountain States Circuit Finals with Garrett Tonozzi. The Pueblo native also claimed the year-end circuit title.

During Pool A of the NFR Open, Tonozzi and Yates secured their spot in the finals after clocking a 16.3 on two head. In Round 1, the team stopped the clock in 10.6 seconds to win fourth. They followed up their fourth place with a second-place finish in round 2 with a run of 5.7 seconds.

The Mountain States Average Champs will compete again on July 18, looking to secure that huge NFR Open win.

Circuit Rodeo Success

After changing roping partners in June, Yates has found success with header Riley Kittle at several rodeos, including many in his circuit.

For the first time in his career, Yates took home first place at the Cattlemen’s Days Inc. Rodeo. He heeled his steer in 4.4 seconds to win $3,384. Yates also entered the calf roping, where he placed sixth and clinched the all-around title.

In Monte Vista, Kittle and Yates placed third with a time of 5.3 seconds, winning $1,757 at the San Luis Valley Ski-Hi Stampede.

The Laramie Jubilee Days wrapped up July 12, and after the dust settled, Yates had added another $2,202 to his busy weekend wins. He and Kittle placed fourth in Laramie with a 5.4-second run.

Despite some tough luck in the first round of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, Kittle and Yates roped their steer in 5.5 seconds to place second in Round 2, adding $2,832 to the team’s earnings.

World Standings

Yates has consistently been within the Top 15 for most of the year and is pursuing his fifth trip to Las Vegas. The 2018 NFR Average Champ currently sits at number ten in the PRCA World Standings with $73,598.33.

He also leads the Mountain States Circuit in both the heeling ($29,352.04) and the all-around ($30,654.88) after his success in Gunnison.

After solidifying his spot for his fourth NFR at the 2025 Governor’s Cup, Yates is looking to head back to Sioux Falls for that season-defining rodeo. He sits in the sixteenth spot for the Cinch Playoff Series with a total of 463.04 points.