Consistency has been the theme of Marty Yates’ 2025 season, thanks to three key players: Snoop, Tag and Cyndy.
The 10-time NFR qualifier has steadily climbed to No. 6 in the world standings, not because of one big hit but because of weeks that kept stacking together. He started the summer run in 17th with $40,169 and now sits in 6th with $147,677 and only a few days left in the season.
“I didn’t really have a huge hit this year,” Yates said. “I won just okay over the Fourth and nothing really pops to my head that was just a huge win. But it’s been nice to just be able to win consistently.”
That consistency has come with the help of a horse program Yates has shaped over the last several years. He credits futurities and his wife Loni’s passion for breeding with reshaping how he looks at prospects.
“I’ve always just been the one to go find a horse and try to find a fit, and then now that these futurities have come along, it’s made it a little different,” Yates said. “There’s just that much more money to be won and you have to be in on these young horses to win it.”
Yates’ program today looks different than when he first cracked out. He and Loni now breed several mares a year and send the prospects to trainers like Dakota Kirchenschlager to get a foundation that holds up under rodeo miles.
The Standout: SR Beefcake, “Snoop”
The headliner of Yates’ string is SR Beefcake, “Snoop,” a six-year-old gelding he bought from Jason Schaffer out of Montana.
“I bought Snoop from Jason Schaffer last year,” Yates said. “He took him to some futurities last year and I had my eye on him. When he told me he wanted to sell him, I went and tried him and it’s been good ever since.”
After some early 2025 success on him in San Antonio, Yates knew Snoop would become his primary rodeo mount.
“He’s a really strong stopper, but he also scores really good and lets me throw fast,” Yates said. “I rode him in the finals at Calgary and then the next morning I placed on him in the first round at Cheyenne. That tells you a lot about a young horse right there.”
Though Snoop has been his go-to all season, Yates has been cautious not to overuse him.
“Snoop and Cyndy, they’re six and seven years old, so they’re pretty green to this whole rodeo deal,” Yates said. “I don’t want to overwhelm them too much and make it where they dread their job.”
The Versatile One: Cyndy
Cyndy, a seven-year-old mare by Popular Resort Figure, was Yates’ main mount through 2024 and remains a key player in his rig. When Snoop needed a break this year, Cyndy stepped in to keep Yates’ consistency ball rolling. She also carried breakaway roper TiAda Gray to a first-round win in Ellensburg and a check in Filer.
“Cyndy, she’s just an easy horse,” Yates said. “Whatever you want to do on her, she’ll do it. She’s better in the fast setups and she’s not a real violent stopper. She doesn’t really want to jerk them down hard, but she’s super easy to rope on and easy to tie fast on.”
The Up-and-Comer: TLC Stuntin Like Dad, “Tag”
Also sired by Hashtags, TLC Stuntin Like Dad, “Tag” has been with Yates since he was a 3-year-old. Loni was the first to ride him at a breakaway slot roping and since then he’s placed at several futurities and jackpots, though and injury this summer at the Spicer Gripp sidelined him.
“Dakota Kirchenschlager found Tag for me as a 3-year-old and rode him a little bit,” Yates said. “He’s really just placed and done well his whole career. He’s super good at the jackpots and he’s getting a really good pattern under him. I’m looking forward to being able to start him at the rodeos next year.”
Built to Last
For Yates, the success of 2025 is as much about the program behind his horses as the horses themselves. Between futurities, a strong breeding program with Loni and trusted trainers like Kirchenschlager, Yates has built a system to keep young horses ready for rodeo’s big stages.
“Strong foundations are the only thing that keeps these horses going,” Yates said. “You’ve got to start them right and put them in the right hands, whether that’s my hands or somebody else’s.”