story by Riata Cummings
Zane Monnett was born in Wickenburg, Arizona, and moved to Glendale, Utah, when he was 6-years-old. Glendale is in an area called “The Valley”, where small clumps of people make up little towns. Zane says, “It is a good place to grow up because all the people are nice, and you are away from the city.” Zane is 14-years-old and attends Valley High School as an eighth grader. His favorite classes include math, English, and science, because he has great teachers for those subjects this year. Zane enjoys hunting, playing sports with his good friends, and traveling with his dad. Their family is full of musicians, and road trips give them the opportunity to unwind and listen to all their favorite music.
Zane is the son of Daniel and Dana Monnett, and the youngest of his siblings, step and otherwise. Those siblings are Shane, Jessie, Kayleen, Naomi, Elijah, and Josiah. Although most of the family lives in Arizona, they are very close and supportive of one another.
When Zane was 10-years-old he started going to rodeos with his brother, Elijah, who rides bulls. HIs father also used to ride bulls, and Zane was influenced by their passion for the sport. Zane soon started riding calves and steers, competing in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association and Utah Junior High School Rodeo Association. Zane says, “I like other sports, like football, but I am really built for bull riding. I love the adrenaline rush that comes with it all and I like all the friends that you meet in the sport.” Rodeo has taught Zane to become friends with his competitors because, “no matter how down you are on your luck, you can still stand up and cheer for your friends. Some bull riders are crazy but most of them are kind. That environment shapes me into a better competitor and a better person. It teaches me to control my attitude, which is something I can take with me everywhere.”
Zane has won several belt buckles riding bucking bulls and was the first Little Britches bull rider to reach maximum points two years in a row. When Zane started competing in the junior high rodeos, he was able to stick with the kids who had been riding their whole lives and has stayed on some of the most difficult bulls in the circuit. Zane would like to start roping and is helping train a rope horse. One day Zane would like to be a professional bull rider and a World Champion. He says, “I’m in this to have fun, but I’m also in it to be the best that I can, whether that’s becoming a champion over and over again or just making a mark on the bull riding world.” His bull riding hero is J.B. Mauney, whose style and attitude Zane would like to mimic. Another one of Zane’s role models is his father, who has worked hard to become an “amazing dad who is always willing to help.”
Zane would like to thank his brother Elijah for keeping him on the path to success, his brother Josiah for encouraging him to chase his dreams, and his parents for their loving guidance and support.
