Colby Yates may have eventually traded the bull rope for a stopwatch, but the competitive fire never went away. The Keller, Texas, native came from a rodeo family — his dad rode bulls and his grandfather had a ranch near Gainesville — but Yates himself started with calves at 8 years old before quickly deciding he needed something that would actually buck. By 11 or 12, bull riding had become more than something fun. It was what he wanted to do.

Yates first chased success through the PRCA, qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo and coming painfully close to a gold buckle. He later made the jump to PBR, where he built a 10-year professional career that included five PBR World Finals appearances and the 2011 Iron Cowboy Championship. His career also brought plenty of punishment, with shoulder surgeries, broken bones, a broken jaw, collarbone injuries and dozens of concussions eventually helping push him toward retirement.

Bull riding was not Yates’ only talent. Coming from a musical family — his grandmother performed with the legendary gospel group The Chuck Wagon Gang — he began writing and recording songs during his riding career. What started as homemade CDs passed around to rodeo friends eventually turned into trips to Nashville, songwriting sessions and even a record deal opportunity. But Yates ultimately realized that music could never replace the passion he had for bull riding.

That passion eventually led him into broadcasting, athlete development and coaching. Yates spent years behind the microphone, helped with Western Sports Foundation clinics and served as a rider representative on the PBR competition committee before becoming head coach of the Arizona Ridge Riders. For Yates, coaching has never looked like standing quietly behind the chutes with a clipboard.

Listen to Yates talk about his athletes and the excitement in his voice can sound nearly identical to what happens when one of them leaves the chute. On game days, he can often be found above the bucking chutes with a stopwatch in hand, yelling throughout the ride, throwing his arms open in celebration and pointing toward his rider on the dirt after the whistle. He may no longer be the cowboy tied into the rope, but very little about his competitive intensity disappeared when he retired.

That enthusiasm also reflects the way Yates approaches mentorship. His focus has long extended beyond teaching somebody how to ride a bull. Through coaching, advocacy and his work with athletes, he has made developing well-rounded cowboys — on and off the dirt — a major part of his post-riding career.

Yates is also deeply protective of what the cowboy lifestyle represents. He has spoken about the significance of the cowboy hat and the responsibility that comes with wearing it, viewing it as more than an accessory and instead as part of a culture built around character, toughness and responsibility.

His career has taken plenty of turns — from the NFR to the PBR World Finals, Nashville recording studios, broadcast booths and now the top rail above a PBR Teams bucking chute. But the common thread has never really changed.

Bull riding was always the passion.

These days, Yates just gets to experience the eight seconds from the other side of the chute — stopwatch running, arms flying and usually yelling every bit as hard as the man riding.