MSU rodeo: Haslem's on a different mission now

By JIM CNOCKAERT Chronicle Sports Writer

Asked what he did to convince Hutch Haslem to come to Montana State to rodeo, coach Mike True just laughed, then admitted he had little to do with it.

Erik Petersen/Chronicle Hutch Haslem spent two years on an LDS mission before choosing MSU for rodeo. Sometimes, he said, he's smart enough to listen to his assistant coaches.

When Haslem's DVD arrived at the MSU rodeo office last spring, True did what he typically does with anything on a rough stock cowboy: He asked his assistant coach, Andy Bolich, to evaluate it.

The DVD featured bareback and bull riding highlights from Haslem's high school days in Utah, and Bolich immediately was impressed. But, because Haslem's most recent rides were from 2004, Bolich wondered why he'd been out of action so long.

The explanation was simple: Haslem had recently completed a two-year Mormon mission. His curiosity satisfied, Bolich asked Haslem to come to Bozeman to ride a couple of bareback horses during a practice late last spring. Bolich never got a look at Haslem on a bull, but based on what he saw on the DVD and from those two practice rides, he told True to do whatever it took in terms of a scholarship to get him to come to MSU.

“Hutch hadn't been on much (since high school), but he hadn't forgotten much,” True said. “Andy knows what he's talking about, so when Andy wanted someone that bad ... I had sense enough to do what Andy wanted.”

Turns out, Bolich was right. The MSU men's team is off to a sizzling start - leading the Big Sky Region through four fall rodeos - and Haslem has been a big scorer. He is the region's top bull rider, is second in the bareback riding, and is second to teammate Cort Scheer in the all-around standings.

“It's been a good debut,” Haslem said. “Mostly I've been happy with my draws. I've drawn mostly just about right to put me where I'm at.”

The soft-spoken, unassuming Haslem doesn't say a lot, which is not unusual for a cowboy, but Bolich says he believes that Haslem's low-key personality is a big reason he's such a good competitor.

“He's a pretty cool customer,” Bolich said of Haslem. “The way he acts is the way he rides. He doesn't get too excited about anything, so he doesn't override and he doesn't get too revved up. I think his maturity has a lot to do with it. He's a couple of years older than other freshmen, and that makes a difference, whether it's in rodeo or in college.”

Haslem, now 21, agreed he's different than the 19-year-old who opted to go on his mission before he set out for college. He wanted to go then, he said, because he worried he might change his mind about it. His mission took him to rural western Oklahoma and northern Texas, and the people he met there weren't a whole lot different than the folks from his home town of Morgan, Utah.

“It was like I was relating to people I knew,” he said. “A lot of people we talked to were lower-class folks, and you get a different perspective on the things going on around us. You start to see things differently.”

His perspective had changed so much, he said, that when he returned to Morgan, he wasn't interested in doing many of the things he'd enjoyed before he left on his mission. That included rodeo, though it wasn't long before his brother's constant badgering prompted him to get back into competition.

Haslem, who was Utah's state high school champion all-around cowboy in 2004, has always been a rough stock cowboy, focusing on bareback and bull riding. It's no surprise he liked those events best. His father had done some bull riding, and one of the family's Morgan neighbors is Lan LaJeunesse, a two-time world bareback champion.

“I've never been on a bronc,” he said. “I got started in bareback and bulls. They didn't have many broncs until I got to high school. And, once I got that far, I didn't want to have any of that (saddle bronc).”

Not long after he returned from his mission, Haslem said he began to explore college possibilities. He wasn't certain what he wanted to study - he has some interest in equine science - but he knew he wanted to go someplace where he could use rodeo to pay for his education. He sent copies of his DVD to schools in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona.

The only school he contacted in the Big Sky Region was Montana State. Once he'd made his visit, he said, his decision on a college became easy. He'd immediately connected with the members of the rodeo team, and he said the Gallatin Valley reminded him of home.

After Bolich got a look at the DVD, he told True they needed to bring Haslem in for an audition. Bolich liked Haslem's bareback riding, but he was impressed with his bull riding.

“He rode whatever bull he got on,” Bolich said. “In college, the guy who rides the most bulls is usually going to win. You could tell: He tried really hard, and he really bore down. That's pretty dang crucial in the riding events.”

Haslem said he was extremely rusty when he returned to action, mostly because his muscles were so out of shape, but he competed in rodeos all summer to get ready for the college season. He said it did not take long before things started clicking, especially in the bull riding.

“Gosh, he's tough,” True said of Haslem. “It's hard to find a bull rider who can ride the tough ones.”

In fact, Haslem has ridden just about everything he's drawn in competition. He'd only been bucked off once by a bull in the first four fall rodeos.

Not surprisingly, Haslem tried to downplay his personal accomplishments when asked about them. He insisted he still has a lot to learn, particularly in the bareback riding.

But his enthusiasm about the early success of the MSU team was clearly evident.

“I really like how the team is doing,” he said. “For me, it's always been more of a team deal.”

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