Tutt Garnett, who qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 1978 in steer wrestling and National Finals Steer Roping from 1987-89 and '91, passed away April 23, in Llano, Texas. He was 72.
Garnett, who was from Matador, Texas, worked his way up the rodeo ranks, winning the American Junior Rodeo Association regional championships in calf roping and all-around. He went on to compete at Western Texas College in Snyder and Eastern New Mexico University in Portales.
Garnett joined the PRCA in 1976. Initially he competed in all four timed-events – steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping and steer roping.
"Rodeo has been part of my life since I was about 5 years old," Garnett said in the 1992 PRCA Media Guide. "I learned the basics by working with my dad on the Matador Ranch. I really love rodeo."
He made his lone appearance at the NFR in steer wrestling in 1978. He placed second in the average with a 99.1-second time on 11 head. He placed in three rounds highlighted by him splitting first in Round 2 with Dan Ackley with a 5.1-second run in Oklahoma City.
That same year – 1978 – the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Garnett also won the steer wrestling average title at the Texas Circuit Finals Rodeo.
In steer roping, he placed a career-best fourth in the world standings in 1989 and was sixth in 1991. In 1987 and '88 he finished 11th and 12th in the steer roping world standings, respectively.
He won Round 6 at the 1988 NFR (12.9 seconds) and Round 1 of the '89 NFSR (12.3 seconds); and in '91 he won Round 8 (12.3 seconds). He placed in a total of 11 career rounds at the NFSR.
"He was like a second dad to me," said Tony Reina, his best friend, and a five-time NFSR qualifier (2013-14, 2017-19). "We have known each other for 35 years and he ran a division of my pipeline maintenance business out in Central and West Texas for almost 20 years. When he started working for me, he treated me like his son. We had a lot of miles together.
"He started helping me with my steer roping a couple of years after he started working for me a couple of years and for several years, he would go everywhere with me and Scott (Snedecor, four-time PRCA World Champion Steer Roper). He was a super guy and a great family man."
Dan Fisher, who qualified for the NFSR from 1986-90, 1994, 1996-97, 2000, 2003-04, 2008-10, 2012-13, also had fond memories of Garnett.
"Tutt was a really good guy," Fisher said. "He always laughing and having a good time and fun to be around. I have known him since we were little kids in junior rodeos. He is a year younger than me, and I have known him forever. He was a real gentleman and a real cowboy. He sold cars for years and he has always been around rodeo and always been a good figure for rodeo. He always had good form steer roping and I thought it was really right.
"He was a friend right to the end and Tutt was a good guy, and he will be missed."
Garnett was survived by wife, Jena; daughters, Kelly Lowery (Kemp); and Katie Gray (Chase) and four grandchildren.
