J.D. Yates used his last bullet in the 2017 buckskin stallion Probably A Shiner, in the last roping of the last day of the Royal Crown in Rock Springs, Wyoming, to win the Royal Crown 6-&-Under heeling.
The legendary trainer from Pueblo, Colorado, scored a massive 489.86 points on four steers worth $9,750 to owner Mike VanEgdom, plus $1,935 to VanEgdom as the owner of Royal Crown stallion Smart Nu Shiner, and $1,935 to the Pitzer Ranch/Rolling V Performance Horses as the breeders. They also won second in the second round with a 122.69, worth another $1,500.
Probably A Shiner’s Origins
“We bought his dad years ago from Dean Tuftin for a client,” Yates explained. “Then we showed him, and actually I got hurt the year we showed him so Jay Wadhams showed his dad and won the World in the Senior Heeling. Mike VanEgdom bought him, and he started raising some colts. This is the first colt crop out of him, and I got to ride him. He actually looks just like his dad, and has a mentality just like his dad. So I feel pretty fortunate to get another win heeling, and I think this is going to be a really good futurity horse for Trey, because he’ll probably want to show his talents off.”
Yates showed the 15-hand stallion at the 2021 AQHA World Show to a fifth place finish, but he hadn’t thrown him to the wolves at many futurities yet. He’s mainly roped calves and headed up to this point.
J.D. Yates’ Legacy
“Maybe I’m a little slower getting shit going,” Yates laughed. “The truth of the matter is, being a horse trainer, is something that you never really figure out. And when you get a good one, sometimes you just need to stay out of their way and let them train themselves. I’ve been guilty at times of trying to force the action before they’re mentally ready to, but I’ve learned to let them try to progress on their own. But I can still do some stupid shit. But you know, a lot of good horses from me have trained themselves.“
This win marks the first Royal Crown victory for Yates this year, but he’s certainly a long-time legend in the rope horse game. With over 35 AQHA World Titles and back-to-back American Rope Horse Futurity Association World Championships on DT Air Jordan, Yates is The Undisputed Godfather of the rope horse business.
