Man from Utah

The Man From Utah opened vigorously with Wayne's John Weston stepping into a fight on the side of the law in a small town but refusing the job of deputy sheriff as he is on his way to deal with a gang who are exploiting a rodeo. There he enters a horse-riding contest and, urged by the outlaws to lose the race to mutual benefit, he sets out to win after removing a needle coated with deadly snake poison and planted in his saddle. The rodeo background introduced some variety into the series but Wayne dealt predictably with the outlaws and won the hand of a judge's daughter (Polly Ann Young). (John Wayne, Allen Eyles, 1979, p.40)