As Luke Branquinho wisely shared at the Resistol Rookie Luncheon, “Smooth seas don’t make great sailors.” These words resonate deeply through my journey with Ropers Sports News, reminding me that every challenge we face shapes who we become. Like a boxer who learns to fight by taking blows, I’ve been fighting my whole life, embracing each new challenge with determination and grit.
The path to where I stand today hasn’t been straight or smooth. I’ve experienced moments of waxing and waning, moving in and out of the inner circle, learning and growing with each shift. Luke’s wisdom continued that day as he reminded us all that a cowboy hat isn’t just something that keeps your head warm; it’s a signal of deep connection, opening doors that might have remained forever closed. These words capture the essence of our community – one built on genuine relationships and shared values.
Taking over Ropers Sports News has been an all-consuming adventure, one that’s required sacrifices in other areas of my life. As an avid gardener who practices generational old-world homesteading traditions, I’ve had to skip many of my beloved fall season, and now winter season, rituals. While I’m typically starting seeds for my Central Valley California garden this time of year, I’m preparing for a different kind of growth – a month-long journey to Arizona with my son, Rowdy.
This adventure represents everything I love about our western way of life. We’ll be homeschooling from the road in the pickup, team roping in Wickenburg, and building connections throughout the Arizona rodeo and western life community. Watching Rowdy explore this world with me from the passenger seat fills me with a special kind of joy that is hard to put into words.
During our Arizona sojourn, I’ll be wearing multiple hats – promoting Ropers Sports News, distributing magazines, meeting producers, and continuing work on my second book, ‘COWGIRL CULTURE, Arizona, Vol II.’ Following my first book, ‘COWGIRL CULTURE, California, Vol I’ (available at deeyates.com), I’ll be photographing fifty Arizona cowgirls, capturing and preserving this remarkable era in our western heritage and compiling the adventure in the second book.
If you happen to be in Arizona this February and spot us at a roping, please stop and say ‘hello.’ All of these projects are a labor of love and are about keeping our culture alive and celebrating this point in time. Come March, I’ll return to my garden, starting the spring crops with renewed energy. And as much as I cherish these road adventures, my greatest happiness remains at home with my boys, horses, and dogs, blessed by the beautiful California sun and the gardens I tend.
In this moment of reflection, I’m struck by how silence and stillness often brings forth the deepest writing, and how separation from what we hold dear reveals the true nature of our connections. I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has welcomed me into the Ropers Sports News family, especially those who embrace change and flow with new directions.
This journey has taught me that we’re all exactly where we’re supposed to be, and sometimes the best thing we can do is follow some other newly discovered advice; ‘Develop a great short memory – move forward and don’t look back.’
To everyone who has opened doors for me and supported this new chapter of Ropers Sports News, thank you. Your trust and support mean everything. We’re building something special together, preserving and celebrating a way of life that runs deep in our souls. Whether you find me in the garden, at a roping, or behind the lens capturing our cherished Cowgirl Culture, know that I’m grateful for all God-given opportunities to serve our western community and way of life.
Here’s to the road ahead, the adventures we’ll share, and the stories we’ll tell together.
With deepest appreciation,
Dee Yates
Publisher, Ropers Sports News