Hailee Christensen's grandfather finally gave in to a three-year-old wish Thursday night at the Days of '47 Rodeo.
"I was just sitting in my seat up there, and my grandpa came up and asked me, 'Do you want to ride a bull tonight?' " said the 13-year-old Magna girl. She jumped at the chance, even though she's never even been on a mechanical bull or steer, like most of the youngsters who signed up to ride mini-bulls at the annual rodeo.
"I was scared, but it was really fun," she said. Her mom laughs because she knows there will be no keeping her off the back of bucking animals anymore.
"I had her convinced that girls couldn't ride the bulls, but then three years ago a girl rode these mini-bulls," said Gail Christensen. "She's a daredevil. She's been repelling down mountains and jumped off a cliff . . . so why not this? If she wants to do this, I'll support her."
The four-year-old event has become a crowd favorite. Children as young as 8 can sign up to try and stay on the back of a miniature bull. Despite the danger, most of those involved in the rodeo say it's good for the kids and good for the sport.
"It's good for the kids because when they ride steers or calves, they buck wild and crazy," said bull fighter Dustin Brewer of Oklahoma.
"These minibulls mimic the bigger bulls."
He said keeping riders safe is basically the same, and maybe just a bit easier with the young riders and tiny bulls.
"The mini-bulls are a little more tame," he said. "But it's basically the same concept."
The animals are raised by Donny Landis, who is this year's rodeo clown. He and his wife began raising the animals to help recruit youngsters into the sport.
"We were just trying to get the youth involved in the sport," he said of the eight-year-old endeavor. "It's better for the kids on these bulls . . . I think it's safer (than steers)."
Landis takes his bulls all over the West so youngsters can give riding a real bull a try.
Wace Holmes was so determined to have his first ride on the mini-bulls this year that he rode with a broken wrist. He didn't make it to the whistle, but that won't deter him from trying again next year.
"It was fun," he said with a grin and a shrug.
While Christensen said she was a little scared, Holmes, who just returned from the Junior High National Finals in New Mexico, said he's not scared, only excited.
"He's rode some big, ugly mean ones and he's not scared yet," said his father, Lec Holmes. Wace has ridden steer and junior bulls, which are yearling bulls. Lec Holmes believes riding the mini-bulls is helpful because it feels so much like the bigger bulls.
Only one youngster has been able to stay atop the bucking bulls, and that's Dax Bunot, 13, of West Haven. His ride this year was his favorite so far.
"This year was a better ride because I rode it and it felt good," he said.
Cecily Delaney, 15, of Grantsville, rode just after Bunot and said this is her second year in the event.
"It's so much fun," she said. "I get to do what the boys do."
She's not deterred by the fact that she likely won't be able to ride bulls in high school rodeos. Christensen's mom hopes high school rodeo officials will allow girls who've been competing in the event before high school to continue once they get to that level.
"If a girl gets good at it, why should they hold them back?" Gail Christensen said.
All of the youngsters who ride get a belt buckle — and bragging rights — for their effort.
Steve Young and Steve Sherwood won the team roping with a time of 4.5 seconds. Colby Yates won the bull riding Thursday night with a score of 88. Kassie Mowry won the night's barrel competition with a time of 13:20, and Teddy Johnson won the steer wrestling with a time of 4.0. Bobby Mote won the bareback riding competition with a score of 84, and Kalon Downing won the saddle bronc event with a score of 76.
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com