Cowboy gallops past traffic on I-610 to make it to semifinals at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

ByDesiree Cantu KTRK logo
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Cowboy gallops past traffic to make it to semi-finals at Houston rodeo
Calf-roper Marty Yates skipped traffic by unloading his horse on I-610 and galloping all the way to his win of the semi-finals at the Houston rodeo.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- There's nothing like a young cowboy's determination!

Marty Yates won his semi-final set at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Wednesday night, advancing to the finals in tie-down roping. But, it never would've happened if he let the infamous Houston traffic stand in his way.

The calf-roper's wife, Loni Kay Yates, captured the moment her husband decided it was now or never.

As the couple was sitting in traffic on I-610 near Fannin Street, they realized Marty Yates would never get to the rodeo in time for his set. So, being the cowboy he is, he gets out of their vehicle, unloads his horse, and rides the rest of the way to NRG Stadium!

Loni Kay Yates recorded her husband galloping away, hat on head and determination in heart. The video shows him passing up dozens of stalled vehicles on the packed highway.

In a cowboy fashion, he made it just in time and took home his victory.

"Marty Yates does what it takes to get to the Houston Short Round! We gotta provide for that baby, " the calf-roper's wife, Loni Kay Yates, said in a social media post." Finals bound in Houston!! He and our mare Cyndy won his semi-final set (Wednesday night) but barely made it due to Houston traffic."

The 29-year-old's hometown of Stephenville is about 270 miles northwest of Houston. Marty Yate's professional tie-down roping career began in 2012, and this year, he'll be going to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo finals.

Houston roads are no stranger to strange sightings. See more on events spotted on Houston-area roadways: