Yates wins with record time in Denver

Marty Yates is winning money but has lost some ground in the tie-down roping due to his horses needing some nursing.

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PRORODEO.COM

DENVER, Colo. – Since joining the PRCA in 2012, Marty Yates has established a reputation as a lightning-fast tie-down roper.

The Stephenville, Texas, cowboy had his slick skills on full display on Saturday afternoon, breaking the arena record at the 112th National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver with a 6.8-second run.

“It was cool to break that record,” said Yates, 23. “I’m kicking things off this winter, this is the second rodeo I’ve been to and it’s cool to make a run like this. Six-second runs never get old and there’s never been a 6.8-second run here (in Denver), so it’s cool to be the fastest in the whole history of the National Western Stock Show.”

Yates broke the arena record shared by Riley Pruitt and Shane Hanchey at 6.9 seconds. Pruitt made his Denver run in 2016 and Hanchey’s run came on Jan. 18.

Yates, a four-time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER (2014-17), is riding his trusty horse, Buster, 15 in Denver. Yates finished third in the 2017 PRCA world standings with $233,673. He won Round 5 and Round 6 at the latest WNFR with 7.0 and 6.9-second efforts.

i “I knew I had a really good calf and it was just a pretty simple run,” said Yates, who was scheduled to make a second-round run in the Denver Coliseum late Saturday night. “Everything just came together the way it was supposed to. I got a really good start and I didn’t make a stupid throw, and it all just came together. To have a rodeo like this going on this long and to put my name in the record books is awesome.”m