MANDAREE, N.D. – On a September day in 2008, J.C. Yeahquo realized what he was meant to do.
“The first time I got to rope off a horse was on my eighth birthday,” said Yeahquo, 24, who is originally from Manderee, grew up in Crescent, Oklahoma, and now lives in Stephenville, Texas. “That was when I turned my first steer, and I’ve been doing it pretty much ever since.”
Being a cowboy is really all he’s ever known. His father, Luke, rode bareback horses and still ropes. He has two great-uncles, Joe Chase and Pete Fredericks, who have been inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.
The genetics and talent are showing for Yeahquo, who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time in his career. He finished the regular season with $128,296 in earnings and will enter ProRodeo’s grand championship as the No. 8 team roping header in the world standings. Once he arrives in Las Vegas, he will try to cash in for his share of the $12.5 million purse with Buddy Hawkins, his heeling partner for the 2024 regular season.
“This means the world to me,” he said. “This is all I’ve ever dreamed about my whole life, making the finals and getting to do what I love and make a living at it. I really don’t think there’s any better way to do it or any better way to live.
“This is what I’ve worked my whole life for, and to get to compete at my first National Finals in my third year of having a PRCA card is pretty dang exciting.”
It should be. It’s the culmination of years of practice, a strong work ethic and a family’s support. Born in northwestern North Dakota, the Yeahquos moved to Oklahoma when J.C. was about 2 years old. They are from the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and part of the MHA Nation – Mandan, Hidatsu and Arikara, which is known as the Three Affiliated Tribes.
J.C. Yeahquo is the youngest of Luke and Jennifer’s four children, which include his sister, Sierra Ventresca, and brothers Jessy and L.J. His trip to Las Vegas to battle for the 2024 world championship is a family affair, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Our place was pretty rough and rowdy when I was little, and being the youngest, I got beat up a bunch when I was a kid,” J.C. Yeahquo said with a laugh. “I don’t know if it made me tough, but I dang sure got whooped on the most.”
That sometimes happens to baby brothers, especially in homes like theirs.
“I was probably 3 or 4 when they turned me loose on Shetlands,” he said. “My brother and I used to race and play tag all the time on Shetlands when we were little.”
That’s brother L.J., who is 360 days older. The two grew up together and competed together until this year. The entire clan is tight-knit, and it wasn’t until a year ago that he moved from Oklahoma to Stephenville, the Cowboy Capital of the World, which is about five hours south of the family’s home.
While in Erath County, Texas, he’s closer to dozens of other ropers who live, practice and compete there. It’s a chance to hone his skills and get with his partner, who lives in Morgan Mill. Hawkins is a seven-time NFR qualifier who earned the 2021 aggregate championship while roping with another Oklahoman, Andrew Ward.
“It’s pretty neat roping with him, because it seems like he knows how to make the plays come together and does such a good job,” Yeahquo said of Hawkins. “I just have to worry about myself and my job, and I know he takes care of the rest.”
The two dabbled for a bit last fall and started competing together in jackpots, contests where cowboys put up entry fees and hope to beat most in the field for a share of the purse. Their first rodeo together was in January at Odessa, Texas. It didn’t take long for them find the pay window, with their biggest victory of the season coming in March when they won RodeoHouston, pocketing $54,750 each.
“That was the biggest win of my career, and that set me up for making the National Finals,” said Yeahquo, who credits part of his success to his sponsors, 4 Bears Casino & Lodge, Cactus Ropes, Cactus Gear, Shorty’s Caboy Hattery, FCA Rodeo, Gold Buckle Construction, Wrangler, Serna Custom Boots and Cleveringa Equine Feeds.
He also competed for the second straight year at the Calgary Stampede, winning the title this year roping with a different heeler, Kollin VonAhn, the 2015 world champion. By winning two of the biggest rodeos in the PRCA, Yeahquo set sail on a cruise to the Nevada desert, where he and Hawkins will be one of a handful of teams in the mix.
Only the top 15 contestants in each discipline from the regular season earn the right to compete for the biggest pay in the game at the NFR, where go-round winners will snag nearly $34,000 for each of the 10 nights. The average winners – like Hawkins and Ward were three seasons ago – will earn more than $86,000 for having the best 10-run cumulative time.
It’s a big chance at a big payday, and that’s something that appeals to everyone. Of course, there’s also a Montana Silversmiths gold buckle on the line; it will be handed out to the top money-makers in each event for 2024.
“This is very big, because there haven’t been any Yeahquos make the finals,” he said. “For me to be able to put my family’s name out there is such a great thing for all of us. I know they’re all excited, and I’m sexcited for it.
“I’m most excited about doing good out there, and I want to just enjoy my time since this is my first National Finals. I want to cherish the moments with all my friends and family. That’s really meaningful to me.”
It’s the next step in the deliverance of a young cowboy with native roots, a strong familial support and a hunger to strive for greatness. Much has changed over his lifetime, from leaving the reservation as a toddler to learning the ropes in Oklahoma to maturing as a man and a cowboy.
“This year’s taught me quite a bit,” Yeahquo said. “With moving out and getting all on my own and changing partners, I had a lot of doubts at times, but I knew I could talk myself into keeping going. Things were tough sometimes, then they were really good sometimes, but I just had to look forward and stay positive about it.
“It just worked out.”