Ross Ashford finds himself in uncharted territory: within a stone’s throw of the top 15—and, as of Aug. 6, a new dad.
Former Resistol Rookie of the Year Ross Ashford and header JC Yeahquo sit inside the top 20 of the 2025 world standings as of Aug. 17, with $75,225.48 and $80,349.60 won, respectively. The bubble is never an ideal place to be, especially as the ProRodeo season winds down. Most teams would mash the gas and chase every dime, but for Ashford, a quick trip home in early August took priority.
A Gift from Above
Ashford and his wife, Taylor, welcomed their baby girl, Patton Ann Ashford, on Aug. 6, 2025, in Texas.
Patton Ann’s arrival means more than adding the title “Dad” to the Lott, Texas, cowboy’s résumé; she came just six days before the first anniversary of the untimely death of Ashford’s 18-year-old brother, Ace Patton Ashford, for whom she is lovingly named.
“Ace passed away last year; Patton’s due date was actually August 12; that was the same day that Ace passed away,” Ashford said, reflecting on the significance of her timing.
“I think there were a lot of connections and things that happened leading up to his death that were just signs from God,” he continued. “With Taylor getting pregnant, and the timing and the due date, I just know somehow he’s got his hand involved with us.”
The past year has brought a shift of perspective for 26-year-old Ashford. All of a sudden, heeling steers wasn’t nearly as important as his family and his faith.
“I had to go home like I did last year, and I was close to being in the same kind of situation on the bubble right there,” Ashford said. “I mean, we could have gone to those rodeos and got no-times at both of them. But with what happened last year, it really opened my eyes to what is important. As much as I like to rope and I care about roping, it’s not my whole life.”
Patton Ann will get an early dose of rodeo-baby life, as she and Taylor are already planning to head to the Northwest to watch Dad battle for a spot at the Thomas & Mack Center in the coming weeks.
Bubble Battle
Yeahquo and Ashford missed only two rodeos they had planned to enter while waiting at home for Patton Ann’s arrival. Now, it’s crunch time to climb into the top 15—a position Ashford has hovered around more than once.
“I’ve been in the bubble spot the last few years,” Ashford said. “It seems like right around this time, I’m just close enough to have a chance, but we have to go do good. I think JC is one of the best partners I’ve ever roped with; he is crazy talented.”
“The nice part about JC is, he can go at them so fast,” Ashford added. “If we get in a spot where we need to be 4-flat, I have a guy that can dang sure give me that chance. He really cares about handling the steer; He can go at them and throw his whole rope, but he can still be in control of the run. He is so comfortable going at them that he is always in control right there; he is trying to do what he can to set it up in the best way.”
For Ashford, the difference-maker this year could be his horsepower.
“In the past few years, at this point in the year, I feel like I have one good horse that I can really count on,” Ashford explained. “But this year, I feel like I’ve got three horses that, at any time, I could get on them and go do good. So, I want to make really good decisions about riding what feels good and if something isn’t feeling right, I don’t want to try to keep making that work until the end of the year, just because that is all I have.”
He has three horses on the trailer to pick from: a 17-year-old gelding he calls “Shotgun,” an 11-year-old buckskin named “Ernie,” and a 9-year-old sorrel called “John Wayne.” Each has its strengths, and Ashford now has the option to match mounts to setups instead of riding one to the bitter end.
The cut for the top 15 sits at $83,786.05 for headers and $83,493.61 for heelers. The plan for the team is to capitalize on tour rodeos in the Northwest and make big runs where they count, hitting stops like Kennewick, Washington, and Walla Walla, Washington, in the next few weeks.
“I think we’ve got to come back now and take care of business,” Ashford said. “If we go do a good job, I think we will have a really good chance. Hopefully we will get into Sioux Falls; that would be huge. But luckily, pretty much everything we are going to are tour rodeos from here on out.”
