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Lehi Club cowboy Chris Staley competes in the bull riding during the short-go performance on the final day of the 2022 Utah State High School Rodeo Finals at the Wasatch County Events Complex in Heber on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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South Utah County cowgirl Grace Kalmar has her horse fall down while competing in the pole bending during the third day of the Utah State High School Rodeo finals at the Wasatch County Fairground in Heber on Thursday, June 9, 2022.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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South Utah County cowboy Cooper Jones competes in the bull riding during the first performance of the 2022 Utah High School Rodeo finals at the Wasatch County Fairgrounds in Heber on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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A cowgirl stumbles while competing in the goat tying competition during the first performance of the 2022 Utah High School Rodeo finals at the Wasatch County Fairgrounds in Heber on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Wasatch cowboy Peter Haas competes in the steer wrestling during the third day of the Utah State High School Rodeo finals at the Wasatch County Fairground in Heber on Thursday, June 9, 2022.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Lehi Club cowboy Dahl Winters competes in the bareback riding during the short-go performance on the final day of the 2022 Utah State High School Rodeo Finals at the Wasatch County Events Complex in Heber on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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South Utah County Club cowboy Wyatt Rindlisbacher (left) smiles with Sevier Club cowboy McCrae Fillmore after a good run in the team roping during the short-go performance on the final day of the 2022 Utah State High School Rodeo Finals at the Wasatch County Events Complex in Heber on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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South Utah County Club cowboy Kaleb Dymock competes in the steer wrestling during the short-go performance on the final day of the 2022 Utah State High School Rodeo Finals at the Wasatch County Events Complex in Heber on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Wasatch cowgirl Halee Wilson competes in the barrel racing during the first performance of the 2022 Utah High School Rodeo finals at the Wasatch County Fairgrounds in Heber on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Just a few minutes before the bull riding began in the short-go performance at the 2022 Utah State High School Rodeo Finals at the Wasatch County Events Complex in Heber on Saturday, I happened to get a chance to talk to Christopher Staley.

I had gotten to know the Cedar Fort cowboy, who will be a senior at Westlake this fall, a little bit in 2021 when he told me about how he recovered from a broken jaw suffered during a bull ride but went back to competing.

This year, Staley told me he had drawn a “good” bull, one that only one cowboy in the state had ridden all year.

But I could see in his eyes that he wasn’t intimidated. Staley was hungry to get his chance.

A few minutes later, Staley took his place and tried to stay in place for the requisite eight seconds — only to get bucked off.

I first asked him whether he was OK when I saw him after the ride, then told him that he and his fellow rodeo athletes are tough.

A little crazy, but tough.

He grinned in acknowledgement and talked about looking forward to the next ride.

Since I’ve been covering the high school rodeo finals for more than 15 years now, I’ve gotten accustomed to the mentality of the cowboys who ride bucking broncos and bulls. I’ve always admired their determination and drive.

But as I thought about my experiences watching these talented athletes compete in the finals last week, I thought about four of the lessons I feel like I have learned from high school rodeo.

1. Hard isn’t bad.

I could totally understand if somewhere deep inside Staley wished he had drawn a bull that was easier to ride, one that he might have a better chance to score by covering those eight seconds.

But that wasn’t what he showed as he talked about getting a crack at one of the best.

He embraced that challenge of it, which is something I’ve seen so often from so many cowboys and cowgirls.

They want to be tested, want to rise to the occasion. Sometimes that comes from being pushed by the stock and sometimes that comes from being pushed by the other competitors.

Either way, I find that difficult times are much more manageable when I view them as opportunities to be better instead of things just to be endured.

2. Never undervalue your team.

All of the roping and racing events have a clear, dynamic team element incorporated into them: Rider and horse.

It’s rare to talk to a winner in any of those events who doesn’t have great things to say about the job their horse does, often times giving the lion’s share of the credit to the equine competitor.

Even in the rough stock events, though, I see tremendous teamwork in getting the riders ready in the chutes. And no one who watches rodeo would fail to laud the team efforts of the bullfighters and pickup riders who keep the cowboys as safe as possible.

There is a broader sense of team that I have come to appreciate even more over the years, embodied by the sacrifices of families and friends to transport horses and athletes around the state to compete in the sport they love throughout the year.

I’ve never seen that element of high school rodeo up close, but I have seen the dozens of trucks, horse trailers and campers parked at the state finals.

I’ve always gotten the sense, however, that the athletes truly appreciate all of those efforts.

That gratitude for the teamwork that makes every little success possible is another characteristic I want to emulate more often.

3. See the big picture.

Every high school rodeo competition is a chance for the cowboys and cowgirls to both win and improve.

The state finals feature at least five different levels of achievement: performance, go-round, average, all-around and state championship.

That perspective often translates into seeing rodeo athletes continue to battle to achieve a goal, even though they know they won’t being winning the title in that performance.

I love seeing steer wrestlers chase down the steers or ropers make the extra effort to pull out another loop and keep after it, keeping the overall objectives in mind.

It’s not that they don’t get frustrated or disappointed when things don’t go well the first time. It’s just that they know the perseverance could pay dividends down the road and thus it is worth it to keep trying, which is a mentality I think serves everyone well.

4. Embrace the legacy.

I still don’t think I completely grasp everything that has to come together for cowboys and cowgirls to be able to compete in high school rodeo.

I know many have a great respect for the animals and nature, as well as for the rigorous effort required to take care of them.

I also get a sense that a lot of these athletes have a maturity about them, a greater understanding of financial obligations (often requiring the aid of sponsors) as well as the physical responsibilities.

Some will go on to pursue other vocations but many will continue to participate in the same agricultural lifestyle that is ingrained in their heritage. They have seen what it takes and know they will be ready to continue on those legacies.

Just like them, we all have our own histories to be proud of and I firmly believe there is tremendous value in recognizing our own duty to build on the foundations of those who came before.

These are just a few of the lessons that could be identified from watching and talking to athletes like Staley, Spanish Fork’s Morgan Beckstrom and Cooper Jacobs, Payson’s Bridger Crandall and Cole Penrod, West Mountain’s Grace Kalmar and Goshen’s Kesler Riding.

I look forward to seeing how they and our other area athletes who made it will do at the National High School Rodeo Finals in July, and then when I get to see many of them again at the state finals in 2023.

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