Grit, guts and glory are at the heart of new Sutter Buttes Showdown on May 17

In “The Sun Also Rises,” Ernest Hemingway wrote that “nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bull-fighters.” And when it comes to the chute-banging, dirt-breaking action of rodeos in the American West, many see that same risky truth bear out in the lives of professional riders who brace the bulls. Now, Chad Denton, a rough stock combatant who confronted horns and huffing under the weekend lights from Pendleton, Oregon to Cheyanne, Wyoming, is putting on his own “extreme bulls” event at the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds. It’ll be a night to gauge who has the steel to live all the way up.

Denton spent more than 15 years fighting for those 8-seconds to win, eventually becoming a PBR world finals qualifier three times and PRCA National Finals Rodeo Qualifier. He’s now using everything he learned about the sport to launch the Sutter Buttes Showdown.

Rodeo-lovers can get their first taste of it on Sunday, May 17, when the gates swing open at 2:30 p.m.

Denton grew up in Round Mountain, Nevada, and lives outside of Oroville. These days, he works for CalFire, though that calling came after a decade-and-a-half of strapping onto some of the toughest toros raging out of iron chutes. As a kid who grew up idolizing bull riders like Ty Murray, Denton never cared much about signing autographs or trying to get highlighted on sports channels. For him, it was always about squaring-off with an 1,800-pound adversary that was a manifestation of raw power.

“What I loved was competing against the bulls,” Denton recalled. “That, and the freedom of getting to travel all over the country with my best friends. Every day was a new town – a new adventure.”

He added, with a hint of reflection, “But, it ends fast.”

After retiring, Denton didn’t settle into being another spectator. He became intent on sharing his love of the sport by hosting PCRA events, while at the same time helping young riders find their way towards the finals. The company Denton runs with his wife, Sara, is called Busted Up Productions. It’s already put on four bull-riding extravaganzas in Fallon, Nevada.

This year, the Dentons are ready to bring the bulls closer to home.

“At our Fallon events, we sell out,” Sara observed. “I’ve had to turn people away at the gate because it’s jam-packed. But since Chad was well-known as a bull rider from California when he was competing, we’ve always wanted to do one of these events here; but we knew the dates would have to be right, and the venue would have to be right. So, with the Sutter-Yuba Fairgrounds, it has just worked out beautifully.”

Sara met her husband when she was a rodeo competitor herself, showcasing her skills at roping and barrel-racing. She and Denton still love all those traditional facets of the culture, yet when it comes to their upcoming Sutter Buttes Showdown, the night will be built around bulls, bulls and more bulls.

In fact, those will be the only animals wreaking havoc there.