Nov 15 - 16, 2024

Tucson, AZ

Nov 23 - 24, 2024

Ontario, CA

Dec 7 - 8, 2024

St. Louis, MO

Dec 13 - 14, 2024

Wichita, KS

Dec 20 - 21, 2024

Manchester, NH

Dec 27 - 28, 2024

Albany, NY

Jan 3 - 5, 2025

New York, NY

Jan 10 - 11, 2025

Rosemont, IL

Jan 17 - 18, 2025

Houston, TX

Jan 24 - 25, 2025

Pittsburgh, PA

Jan 31 - Feb 2, 2025

Sacramento, CA

Feb 7 - 8, 2025

Salt Lake City, UT

Feb 14 - 15, 2025

Indianapolis, IN

Feb 22 - 23, 2025

Jacksonville, FL

Mar 1 - 2, 2025

Milwaukee, WI

Mar 8 - 9, 2025

North Little Rock, AR

Mar 15 - 16, 2025

Louisville, KY

Mar 21 - 23, 2025

Palm Desert, CA

Mar 28 - 30, 2025

Albuquerque, NM

Apr 4 - 6, 2025

Sioux Falls, SD

Apr 12 - 13, 2025

Billings, MT

Apr 18 - 19, 2025

Nampa, ID

Apr 26 - 27, 2025

Tacoma, WA

May 8 - 11, 2025

Fort Worth, TX

May 14 - 15, 2025

Fort Worth, TX

May 17 - 18, 2025

Arlington, TX

Jan 3 - 4, 2025

Portland, OR

Jan 4, 2025

Birmingham, AL

Jan 10 - 11, 2025

Spokane, WA

Jan 10 - 11, 2025

North Charleston, SC

Jan 13 - 15, 2025

Denver, CO

Jan 17 - 18, 2025

Charleston, WV

Jan 18, 2025

Bakersfield, CA

Jan 24 - 25, 2025

Tulsa, OK

Jan 24 - 25, 2025

Grand Rapids, MI

Jan 31 - Feb 1, 2025

Laredo, TX

Jan 31 - Feb 1, 2025

Greenville, SC

Feb 7 - 8, 2025

Youngstown, OH

Feb 7 - 8, 2025

Reading, PA

Feb 14 - 15, 2025

Everett, WA

Feb 15, 2025

Memphis, TN

Feb 21 - 22, 2025

Reno, NV

Feb 22 - 23, 2025

Worcester, MA

Feb 28 - Mar 1, 2025

Norfolk, VA

Feb 28 - Mar 1, 2025

Bridgeport, CT

Mar 7 - 8, 2025

Lexington, KY

Mar 7 - 9, 2025

Bangor, ME

Mar 14 - 15, 2025

Tallahassee, FL

Mar 15, 2025

Knoxville, TN

Mar 21 - 22, 2025

Fairborn, OH

Mar 21 - 22, 2025

Wheeling, WV

Mar 28 - 29, 2025

Fresno, CA

Mar 29, 2025

Lincoln, NE

Apr 4 - 5, 2025

Eugene, OR

Apr 11 - 12, 2025

Grand Forks, ND

Apr 19, 2025

Oakland, CA

May 2 - 3, 2025

Corpus Christi, TX

Cates named top freshman

11.01.08 - Other

Cates named top freshman

Arkansas cowboy wins Daisy Rookie of the Year title

By PBR

He’s gone through what seems like a lifetime of experiences – at least to a 19-year-old young man from El Dorado, Ark. – in just his first year on the Built Ford Tough Series.

And this afternoon, his first season concluded with Reese Cates winning the title of Daisy Rookie of the Year.

“Rookie of the Year is great,” Cates said, “but, as I’ve told people all week, I was here to win the Finals. I got one of the two.”

The rookie honor is determined by total dollars earned. During the course of the Finals he more than doubled his season earnings from $80,923.49 to $161,590.17. Cates, who was ranked 23rd at the start of the Finals, came to Vegas with only a slim lead over Pistol Robinson, who had won $75,093.55.

Cates finished the 2008 PBR World Finals event in fifth place, behind the likes of J.B. Mauney, Chris Shivers, Guilherme Marchi and event winner Robson Palermo.

The first-time Finals qualifier covered six of 8 bulls and made it to the short go with a legitimate chance for the average title. In any case, after an impressive week in Las Vegas, he wound up finishing 11th in the world standings.

“I’m happy with the Finals I had,” said Cates, who brought with him a large contingency of family and friends to the Thomas & Mack Center. Along with his mom, Gina, and her fiancé, his younger brother was in town along with his grandparents, his mom’s sister as well as some childhood friends from Arkansas.

With Cates - who attends Panola County Community College in Carthage, Texas, on a rodeo scholarship - having made today’s short go, the Class of 2008 has had at least one rider in all but four championship rounds this season, making this one of the deepest rookie talent pools in recent memory.

All season long it was a hard-fought rookie battle between Cates, Robinson and Kolt Donaldson, with Ryan Dirteater and Leonil Santos emerging late in the season. Even Vince Northrop eventually made an appearance in Round 7 of the Finals, as an alternate.

Robinson, Donaldson - who incidentally tied Cates two years ago for fifth place at the High School Nationals their senior year - and Santos all earned qualified rides in the opening round of the Finals, while Cates, unfortunately, had his hand come out of the rope .03 seconds before the whistle.

There was a record 33 qualified rides in the opening round of the Finals, and the near-score only served to motivate Cates, who then reeled off six consecutive qualified rides in Rounds 2 through 7 before bucking off Avalanche in 3.3 seconds to close out his run at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“I came in here and had a really great Finals,” Cates said, “and picked some really great bulls that I’ve been on or bulls that I’ve wanted to be on.

“Coming in…there was supposed to be a lot of pressure and, I don’t know, maybe I ride good under pressure. Maybe it seems to take all the worries of everything else off my mind, just focus on riding my bulls and doing the best that I can.”

He certainly was focused and, of course, there was the fact that his younger brother Colt was with him all week.

The 11-year-old was wearing his lucky shoes – a blue pair of women’s New Balance that are actually still too big for his feet – a good luck charm that apparently helped Clayton Williams and Colby Yates in an earlier round.

“Maybe (Colt) should have been down here whenever I found out what I rode in the short go,” said Cates, who spent a majority of his free time with his family, “but it’s all right. It’s all good.”

—by Keith Ryan Cartwright