School really didn't interest Dalton Dumas at all.
He frequently missed classes and was essentially flunking out of high school. He was, however, interested in riding bulls.
Sometimes sports can do what nothing else can.
In order to participate in high school rodeo (which is a club sport, not sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association), he had to achieve and maintain a 2.0 grade point average.
The lure of an eight-second ride on the back of a 2,000-pound bull was enough to keep Dumas in school and motivate him to study. He applied the same stubborn determination to school that he'd given to bull riding.
That effort paid off this year as the junior, who rides for the Lehi Club, will compete in the Utah High School Rodeo State Finals this week at the Wasatch County Fair Grounds. Hundreds of the best high school rodeo athletes will compete in two different performances beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. hoping for a spot on the team that will represent Utah at Nationals in July.
The top 10 athletes will compete in Saturday's Championship round at 5 p.m. and the Nationals Team will be announced after the final competition. Utah has had tremendous success at Nationals, finishing second last year, and winning six of the last nine state titles.
Some of those vying for a spot on the national team are like Tim Bingham, veterans with a history of success and a college scholarship in rodeo. But many are like Dumas hoping for that first shot at competing for a national title.
One of those is Fremont sophomore Whitney Wayment.
Watching Wayment maneuver a horse through poles, it is hard to believe doctors once told her parents she would probably never walk or talk.
She began defying odds on the day she was born. A premature baby, she weighed just one pound, 14 ounces. She was abandoned at birth and spent the first few months of her life in a Russian orphanage.
The Wayment family fell in love with her when she was seven months old, and didn't worry about doctors' dire predictions.
Whitney was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which is an autism spectrum disorder that causes difficulties in social interaction.
One way to meet people and find friends is join a team. Whitney joined the Spikers Rodeo Club last year and qualified for state in her second year of competition.
Rodeo is a sport that embraces people from all backgrounds and personalities. But one of the attributes nearly all of the competitors share is toughness. And while most would look to the rough stock events like bull riding and bronc riding, some of the most impressive grit is exhibited in events like steer wrestling, roping or barrel racing.
Jody Burt had to arm wrestle her doctor in order to convince him she was ready to compete this week.
The senior broke both her elbows just four weeks ago. But, as she's ranked in the top 10, she wanted nothing more than to compete in the State Finals her senior season.
Doctors removed her arm casts after deciding she needed to move her arms, in order to heal her elbows. It was excruciating pain, but she did what she was asked and then begged her doctors for the chance to race barrels this week.
After proving her strength, in an arm wrestling match, she received the go ahead. Unlike many of the top rodeo athletes, Burt won't rodeo in college.
She's already completed 16 hours of college courses through her high school and plans to attend Salt Lake Community College where she will complete her general education requirements before heading to nursing school.
In addition to crowning the champion athletes in high school rodeo, the Utah High School Rodeo Association will hand out more than $20,000 in scholarships (thanks to sponsors, fundraisers and donors) for academics.
It isn't necessary to understand the technical aspects of rodeo to appreciate the effort Utah's high school rodeo athletes offer. Their camaraderie is refreshing. Their affection for their four-legged teammates is endearing. Their determination is inspiring.
And, on top of all of that, their athletic ability is thrilling.
Utah High School Rodeo State Finals
Who: Utah High School Rodeo Association
What: The Utah High School Rodeo Association will host State Finals, June 9-12, at Wasatch County Rodeo Grounds.
Why: Top qualifiers in each event from the season will compete for the state championships and the opportunity to go to the National High School Rodeo Championships. Utah has earned six national titles in the past 10 years and is working towards a seventh. The top four qualifiers in each event at the state finals will compete at Nationals in Gillette, Wyo., July 18-24.
When: June 9-12; Wednesday-Friday performances start at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Cow Cutting Championship Round 1 p.m. and the Wrangler Championship Performance begins at 5 p.m.
Where: Wasatch County Rodeo Grounds, 590 S. 600 West, Heber City.
For more information about the UHSRA visit www.uhsra.org.
e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com