ProRodeo Sports News - April 30, 2021

Green, Futrell team up to win Red Bluff Youngsters BY JOLEE JORDAN, Special to ProRodeo Sports News T he Red Bluff (Calif.) Round-Up has been around 100 years. That’s about 99 years and 11 months longer than the new team roping partnership of Tanner Green and Clay Futrell. The pair of 22-year-olds – both former Resistol Rookies of the Year – teamed up just before heading to California for Red Bluff ’s centennial celebration. RED BLUFF ROUND-UP RED BLUFF, CALIF.

TOP MONEY WINNER Tanner Green, TOP SCORES

The ropers had known each other since high school rodeo but hadn’t roped together since becoming professionals, Green in 2018 and Futrell last year. The partnership quickly proved worthy with a $7,767 win in Red Bluff, their second rodeo. “My first time here was two years ago, but I had heard my dad talk a bunch about it,” Green said. His father, Chris, is a Californian and four-time National Finals Rodeo heeler. “It’s probably one of my favorites, such a cool rodeo.” Part of the allure for Green is the long score, befitting the Round-Up’s huge arena, and four head format. “I love a four-header, or even a three-head,” Green laughed after being called “old school.” “I like the long barrier where you have to go catch ’em.” “It’s a cowboy-type rodeo for sure,” Futrell agreed. “The perfs – with the races on the track and everything going on – you don’t go to many places like that. Cotton Rosser was there, and I’d never seen him, never been to California before, never roped in a four-head rodeo before.” The championship seemed out of reach after the team’s first- round run. “I legged the first one, and I was kind of bummed out,” Futrell said. “I thought, ‘I drove all the way to California and roped a leg on the first steer.’ But I talked to some of the guys and they said you can still come back and win fourth or fifth with the leg.” The new partners took second in the next round with a 6.3, earning another one in the progressive round where they won money again with a 6.8. Coming into the finals ranked seventh, they scorched the field in 5.7, winning the round and the average in 30.9 seconds on four. “We’d planned to go use the steers we had and rope them for what they were, and our game plan didn’t change,” said Green, who moved up to 20th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with the win. The win was not just a great start to the partnership, it was also a comeback for both ropers. Futrell began the season losing his good horse to injury for several months and without a partner. “Yeah, I didn’t have anything won before the last week, and now I think they told me I’m about 22nd in the standings,” Futrell laughed. For Green, the comeback is more remarkable. He missed most of 2020 after losing his thumb on Jan. 3 in a roping accident. The injury required three surgeries and was complicated by COVID-19. “You could hardly get in to see a doctor, but the worst was no physical therapy for the rehab,” said Green, who also won the all- around after splitting second in a round of the tie-down roping. His total Northern California haul was $9,234.

$9,234 (tie-down roping and team roping) BAREBACK RIDING

Green

1. Clayton Biglow ....................... 88 pts. 2. Will Lowe ................................... 85.5 3. Cache Hill . .................................... 85 STEER WRESTLING 1. Josh Garner ............... 19.5 sec. on 4 2. Nick Guy .................................... 21.2 3. Stetson Jorgensen ..................... 21.6 TEAM ROPING 1. T. Green/C. Futrell ...... 30.9 sec. on 4 2. B. Hirdes/W. Hansen ................. 31.2 3. C.Campbell/J. Ketscher .............. 31.5 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Spencer Wright ...................... 88 pts. 2. Cort Scheer ................................ 86.5 3. Sterling Crawley ............................ 86 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Tuf Cooper ................. 35.8 sec. on 4 2. Cory Solomon ............................ 36.6 3. Caleb Smidt ............................... 40.0 BARREL RACING 1. Jessie Telford ............ 34.63 sec. on 2 2. Sue Smith ............................... 34.90 3. Cheyenne Hattesen .................. 34.93 BULL RIDING 1. Shane Proctor ..................... 88.5 pts. 2. Wyatt Gregg ............................... 87.5 3. Roscoe Jarboe .............................. 86

Roseanna Sales photo

Team ropers Tanner Green, right, and Clay Futrell compete at the Red Bluff (Calif.) Round-Up. They won the average with a time of 30.9 seconds on four head.

Complete results/Page 41

ProRodeo Sports News 4/30/2021

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