There’s nothing like competition between siblings, but Muldrow brothers Tilden and Toren Gates are getting ready to take that to a whole new level.
The Gates brothers will not only compete against themselves but the best in the world of saddle bronc riding when they compete in the 2025 Junior National Finals Rodeo, which will be Dec. 4-8 in Las Vegas.
At first, it only looked as if Tilden was going to be the lone Gates competitor, but he was happy that his brother also got lucky and earned a spot as well.
“My brother and I were riding against each other,” Tilden Gates said. “When I found out, I was excited for myself, but I also had that feeling he could not have made it. Being there were not enough contestants to go to the Junior National Finals Rodeo, the secondplace guy, who was my brother, got a chance to go, so I was very excited that he’s getting to go.”
Toren had no intentions of giving up on getting a spot to the Junior NFR.
“What went through my mind is to never get down on yourself,” Toren Gates said. “When you work for something and try hard to be the best, just keep trying. There’s always a way that you can do it.The Lord helped me get through all of it, along with my mom (Ashlie), dad (Tel) and my brother supporting through all of this, and it was just really amazing (to make it). I’m looking forward to this.”
The Gates brothers, who have been competitive rodeo cowboys for about three years now, just plan on enjoying competing against each other.
“I would love to get first, but if he got first I’d be happy for him as well,” Tilden Gates said.
“There’s no wager really,” Toren Gates said. “Whoever does best will do best. We’re just going to support each other through it.”
Neither brother thought this opportunity would come around — let alone in just three years of competing.
“I didn’t think something like this would come this early in my life,” Tilden Gates said. “I didn’t expect it. I didn’t expect a lot of things that have happened to me to have happened. I’m glad I’m doing it this early. It’s going to be a good experience, and there’s always room to get better. This will be the largest event I will have ever been to. “I’m looking forward to this.”
“Honestly, this is probably one of the biggest things that has ever happened to me, being able to make it to this rodeo,” Toren Gates said. “This is a big step in my career. I always thought I could be the best and have a chance at it. You just have to keep trying and do your best every time. Every time you get behind those bucking chutes, you have to stride to ride that horse. You just have to keep working to be your best all the time.”
Both brothers would love to be the best of the best and come away with the national championship trophy, which for them is a big gold buckle.
“I would be very excited for myself,” Tilden Gates said. “I would feel like I would have accomplished what one of my overall goal is in saddle bronc riding. Knowing what I’ve done and everybody that has support me through everything has done a good job in doing so, it’s helped confidence wise.”
“I would feel really excited,” Toren Gates said. “I feel like I would have accomplished something really big in my life. Winning that gold buckle is a really big accomplishment. If I were to win it, I would be really proud of myself. I would want to thank everyone who has gotten me to that place — the Lord, my family and the sponsors who have helped me. Kaitlynn Hayes Wood with Rocky Mountain Mini Broncs has been huge in me and my brother’s career. I would really want to thank all of them for allowing me to have this chance and pushing me to be my best.”
However, should the big gold buckle go to someone else, the Gates brothers still have some personal goals they would like to achieve while competing in the 2025 Junior National Finals Rodeo.
“If there’s not first, there’s second,” Tilden Gates said. “I would like to get at least top three. That’s my goal, but No. 1, of course, is first. There are some other good guys who will be against us there.”
“I would like to win one go-round,” Toren Gates said. “There’s three go-rounds, and I would like to win at least one of those go-rounds. To get first in one of them would be great. The goal is to always get first, but you need those shortterm goals to reach your big goal. My goal would be to win at least one goround. Hopefully, that will lead to a first-place win. We’ll just have to find out.”
Besides Kaitlynn Hayes Wood, her brother, rodeo cowboy Keenan Hayes, also has been instrumental in the progression of the Gates brothers’ careers. Keenan Hayes was the 2023 Rookie of the Year and was the 2024 runner-up in the world in bareback riding.
