Colby Yates dishes on his record-breaking rodeo career, his detour into country music, and his thoughts on the Yellowstone effect.
Veteran bull rider and Arizona Ridge Riders coach Colby Yates shot to the top of the rodeo world at 18. After focusing on the PRCA, Yates made the leap to the PBR, kickstarting a new adventure.
Colby Yates took a break from smoldering for C&I’s 2024 fall fashion photoshoot on TR9 Ranch to chat with C&I about his journey from the PRCA to the PBR, his jaunt through the Nashville country scene, and how Yellowstone has changed the rodeo world.
Cowboys & Indians: You’ve had quite the rodeo career. Where did it all begin for you? Did you grow up around horses?
Colby Yates: You know, I actually didn’t. I grew up in Keller, Texas, which wasn’t real country. But my granddad had a big property and a ranch up north in Gainesville on the Red River, and we spent as much time as we possibly could up there. I came from a rodeo family and my dad rode bulls, so that’s how I got into it.
C&I: You got started at a pretty young age, didn’t you?
Yates: At eight years old, I tried calf riding. But both of the calves that I got on left me in the bucking chute because they were so fast. I needed something to buck. Calves didn’t buck — they just ran. So, I got into steer riding. I was a little bit early at eight, so I got a little better start that way. I learned the foundation and then just took off from there. But I would say that it wasn’t until about 11 or 12 where I got really dialed in and I was like, “This is me.” It was game on after that.
C&I: You began at the PRCA and then found yourself at the PBR. What was that journey like?
Yates: I did North Texas High School Rodeo Association, and we always went to the IFYR. Did good there a couple of times. There were a lot of scouts there for college, and I ended up going to Vernon Junior College and went to the College Finals in 2001. At that point, my mind was set on it. Cory Melton was a good friend of mine, and he made PBR finals and I was making the National Finals in the top 15 in the PRCA at the time. At that point, I was like, “Why am I here? This is not what I want to do. I want to go to the NFR.” It was just NFR. That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to go and win a gold buckle. So I went in really hard and had decent success at first, but it takes a couple years to get your feet wet. I ended up making the Finals in 2002, and it was a dream come true for me. I had an absolutely amazing NFR experience. I still hold two records because of that experience. I only needed to get 57 points on my last bull in order to strap on that gold buckle, but I got bucked off about six-point-something seconds short. It is what it is, you know. I look back and I wish I’d be wearing that gold buckle. Grateful to have that experience, but sure I wish I would have won it.
C&I: Shortly after, you announced your retirement.
Yates: I was plagued with injuries quite a bit. I had shoulder surgeries on both shoulders and broken bones and broken jaw and collarbone. Everything seemed to kind of domino year after year. So 2003, 4, and 5 was just filled with injuries. In 2005, I came close to making the finals again, but I just kept getting hurt. So, I just made the decision to let it go.
C&I: Could you tell us a little about your music career?
Yates: I come from a musical background. My grandmother was in a famous gospel music band called The Chuck Wagon Gang. Very famous band since the ’20s. Millions and millions of records. So, I just started writing songs. I was writing my feelings. I was writing my life. So, after the NFR, I bought this little recording thing, and I just did some cover songs. I did some of my own original songs too, and I’d burn about 30 or 40 copies and just give them to all the rodeo guys so they have something to listen to going down the road. I didn’t really think anything of it. I wasn’t selling it. I was just giving them something to listen to because they liked it.
I kept continuing that music career a little bit because I thought this might be something I would want to do when I’m over. I came in the PBR when I was in my late 20s, so I knew I needed something to do afterwards. I thought maybe I could transition into that. So, I was cutting songs in Nashville, writing songs with some very talented songwriters like David Lee, Kevin Denny, a bunch of really established and talented artists that are still really good friends of mine. I was working with a couple of managers up there that were great dudes trying to get me a record deal. I got a record deal but that ended up falling through. But, at the end of the day, I just decided to put this out on my own anyway. I just let it go to iTunes. And then I realized that I didn’t want to cut my teeth in some smoky bar till 2 in the morning. I really do enjoy music, but bull riding was always my passion. And I didn’t have that sort of passion for music like I did for bull riding. When I realized that, I figured it was time to just play at home.
C&I: Now, you’re a bull riding coach extraordinaire. How did that come about?
Yates: Long story short, I did broadcasting for about seven years. We started PBR’s livestream called PBR Live. Then they sold it to Pluto, so I didn’t really have a position. So, this coaching bill came along shortly after that, and my name just got thrown in. I currently work with the Western Sports Foundation, and we put on some clinics and coached and taught. As far as coaching bull riding, it was just one of those things where they took some people that had been in the sport for a long time. They found me to be the right fit. So, I got that position and did it for the last couple years. We’ve had some success.
C&I: Seems like the Western lifestyle is everywhere these days. How do you feel about the Yellowstone effect?
Yates: It’s had a pretty good effect on the rodeo world. I think we’re seeing the cowboy image as a whole coming out. It’s all good as long as we don’t deviate from the foundation of what it really means to be a cowboy. You know, the hat means a lot to me. It’s a sacred thing. It’s an accessory to what our culture is. I love it for us, because I think cowboys should be highlighted. I think this country needs more of what it means to be a cowboy, and more people need to be like that. I think it’s a good thing for us as long as we don’t let it stray.
Follow Colby Yates on Instagram @colbyyates and check him out in our 2024 fall fashion look book.
ON COLBY: 100X black felt hat, resistol.com; The Marfa denim shirt, ponchooutdoors.com; Journey jacket, resistol.com; Spearville boots, hyerboots.com; Belt, buckle, and Wrangler jeans (Colby’s own).
PHOTOGRAPHY: Sara Forrest
