Rocky Garnett was born May 5th, 1954 to Peet and Evelyn Garnett, of Clovis, New Mexico. Rocky grew up around the stockyards in Clovis and the only thing he ever wanted to be was a cowboy. Rocky started roping at an early age, and as he got older, he thought, “What the heck? Why not learn to do it all?” So he learned to ride broncs, bulldog steers, team rope, and rope calves.
In 1971 and 1972, Rocky won the team roping, bulldogging, saddle bronc riding, and the all-around at the New Mexico Junior Rodeo Association. Also in 1972, he won the state championship as the all-around champion. He made the National High School Finals in the team roping, calf roping, bulldogging, and saddle bronc riding making the short-go in bulldogging and team roping.
From there, Rocky earned a full-ride scholarship to Cisco Junior College in Cisco, TX. Although he loved his time there, he decided that college just wasn’t for him. Rocky still just wanted to be a cowboy. He went back home and continued to rodeo and day work. In 1976, he married his wife, Sharla.
In 1979, Rocky bought his PRCA card and decided to try his hand at steer roping. It was then that he found the event that completed him. In 1980, he qualified for his first National Finals Steer Roping. That year was also the first time Rocky placed at Cheyenne. He won second in a go-round. He went on from there and made the NFSR eight more times. Rocky competed at Cheyenne for 33 consecutive years. He won the PRCA Steer Roping at Cheyenne in 1997, and again in 2011. He won the senior steer roping at Cheyenne in 2006, and again in 2011. Not all his years at Cheyenne were spent only as a competitor as he became the stock contractor for the roping steers at Cheyenne Frontier Days™ in 2001 and remained until 2011.
Rocky and his wife now reside in Pawhuska, OK, where they love watching their kids, Cody and Chanci, and grandkids live their best lives.