Blayne Saine’s years of hard work paid off in a big way at the 2025 Resistol Rookie Roundup, where he captured the tie-down roping title with a 8.4-second run, winning $3,372.
The win moves Saine inside the top 10 in the PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year Race with a total of $4,669 won.
Saine topped both the eight-man and four-man round inside Cowtown Coliseum to establish himself as a serious contender in the Resistol Rookie race. His performance was fueled by his capable competition, which included night one leader Clint Southworth and Daxton Hill—who put up an 8.7-second time in the final four round.
“The game plan had been to just go tie [the final calf] down like the first two calves [until Hill’s run],” Saine said. “But it went out the window—I had to turn it up now.”
Mounted on trusted gelding “Cletus,” who Saine’s trained over the last eight years, the pair completed their 8.4-second winning run.
Cletus is an 18-year-old son of CD Olena registered as “My CDs Smokin.” Originally a turnback horse in the cutting pen, Cletus challenged Saine in the early days with his big motor, but they eventually clicked.
“Everything I’ve won has been on that horse,” Saine, 23, said. “When I retire him, he’ll sit in the front yard and watch me go by every day.”
2025 marks Saine’s third year of ProRodeo—the last two being on his PRCA Permit. He decided to jump in as a rookie in 2025 after graduating from the University of West Alabama.
“There’s a little extra pressure because this is the only time you’re a rookie,” Saine said. “New rodeos and a little bit more pressure. This is the first time I’ve been able to enter places like Ft. Smith.”
Next on the calendar for Saine is the Music City Rodeo in Nashville and the historic Old Fort Days Rodeo in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Saine plans to rely on his experience at the Resistol Rookie Roundup to keep the winning going.
“It was an amazing experience,” Saine said. “I just want to keep it rolling.”
