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Green pastures lay ahead for Meeting Creek cowboy

Greater consistency and more mental prep key to success lately for Layton Green
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The future is now for one area cowboy and the Green is starting to roll in.

Meeting Creek’s Layton Green is making his mark on the pro rodeo circuit in his fourth season as he continues to be the top saddle bronc rider in Canada.

In the 16 Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) events he has been in so far, Green has earned slightly more than $14,700 with nearest competition nearly $5,000 behind. However, this figure does not yet include the more than $14,500 Green earned last week at the Ponoka Stampede.

“It’s been awesome lately,” Green said, who lost the Ponoka Stampede showdown by 0.75 to good friend and reigning world champ Big Valley’s Zeke Thurston, while also beating two former world champs in the process.

“I took it pretty easy this spring, but hit the circuit hard once June came. There hasn’t been a whole lot of time to rest.”

A greater level of consistency is one measure that has led to Green’s run of successes this season. Including his first go and finals victories — as well as taking the average in Ponoka — he’s been in the money, taken the average or won events such as Wainwright, Rocky Mountain House, Sundre, Williams Lake plus stops in the United States.

“The thing you need to do to win and keep winning is to stay consistent. But to get and stay consistent, you have to keep things simple,” he said.

“I used to get so pumped up before an event, but I need to remain calm and not overthink things. That’s been the hardest thing to learn. When I come out of the chute, it’s all muscle memory, but not being too tense, not working too hard and going out to have fun and keeping calm is what I think has helped me the most this year.”

Green, 23, began as a novice saddle bronc competitor when he was 15 and signed his pro card not long after he turned 18.

And though his dad — a former competitor — taught him the basics, it was some assistance and a friendship with eight time Canadian champ and four time winner of the Calgary Stampede Rod Hay that has made a big difference.

“Rod showed me many of the smaller tricks like how to ride certain horses and some of the subtleties of saddle bronc,” Green said.

“But I’ve gotten to know so many friends, such as Zeke, and hanging out with some of the best cowboys in the world, there is nothing better.”

Green feels positive about what’s ahead, including his second appearance at the Calgary Stampede this week.

“I’m feeling great and quite confident. Things have been rolling with how it turned out in Ponoka, St. Paul (Oregon) and in Colorado, so I’m looking forward to the rest of the summer.”