Seminole Hard Rock Xtreme Bulls - Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association

Denton wins Cody-Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls

Chad Denton won the overall title at the Cody-Yellowstone Seminole Hard Rock Xtreme Bulls Tour stop on July 5 at Stampede Park. The Oresville, Calif., cowboy scored 181.5 points (90.5 and 91) on two head and collected $15,134 for the win.

California cowboy sweeps Cody Xtreme Bulls

By Bob Welch/Special to ProRodeo.com

CODY, Wyo. – Chad Denton wasn’t even originally entered in the Cody-Yellowstone Seminole Hard Rock Xtreme Bulls, presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, July 5 in Cody, Wyo. He was an alternate.

The Berry Creek, Calif., cowboy began his career in the PRCA, but for nearly 10 years rode almost exclusively in another association.

His good friend and traveling partner, Corey Navarre, encouraged him to go back to his roots and enter the summer rodeos with him. And after riding two bulls for a winning 181.5 points and pocketing $15,134, he could become a factor in PRCA World Standings.

Navarre was entered in the Cody stop of the Xtreme Bulls tour, but Denton did not immediately qualify. However, he put his name on the list of alternates in case of a turn out.

Xtreme Bulls Tour standings leader Steve Woolsey was forced out of competition after having his knee stepped on in Oakley City, Utah, opening a spot for the 31-year-old veteran of the sport.

“For the Fourth I went with Corey,” he said. “I’d been having a heck of a time, but praise the Lord it went my way tonight.”

While Denton was struggling, Navarre was winning everything. He split the win in St. Paul, Ore., with reigning world champion J.W. Harris, then he split the win at the Cody Stampede with B.J. Schumacher. Plus he placed in Molalla, Ore., and Red Lodge, Mont.

After watching an 84.5 from J.W. Harris, an 87 from Ryan Shanklin and an 89 from newcomer Tyler Smith, Denton topped all the youngsters with a 90.5 on Burns Rodeo’s Conspiracy.

“The bull was supposed to be away from my hand so I had a game plan, but I just decided to shut my brain off and just do it,” Denton said. “Turns out he went to the left out of the gate and felt great.”

With the top score in the semifinals, Denton drew Frontier Rodeo’s Cajun Monkey in the finals.

Before he could ride, he watched home state favorite Clayton Savage, from Casper, take the early lead with an 84, putting him at 166 points on two head. Then, another Wyoming cowboy, Tyler Willis, reeled off an 89-point ride to take the lead. After buck offs from Harris and former world champ Cody Hancock, Denton nodded his head on Cajun Monkey. The bull was wild, out of time and hard to ride.

“He was mean, he was hooking every thing back here,” he said. “You just have to take it one jump at a time but it worked out good. He had me in a little bit of a bind a couple times. I think it had to do with being all those miles you get to riding on instinct.”

Denton’s prize money won’t immediately boost him into Wrangler NFR qualification contention, but more than one trip to Las Vegas began with a great Cowboy Christmas run over the Fourth of July.

“I’m entered up,” Denton said of his PRCA plans. “I’m going to go home for a few days—I didn’t know how I was going to get home after this—now I just might buy a first-class ticket.”

First round: Chad Denton, Berry Creek, Calif., 90.5 points on Burns Rodeo’s Conspiracy, $4,230; 2. Tyler Smith, Fruita, Colo., 89, $3,243; 3. Ryan Shanklin, Rock Springs, Texas, 87, $2,397; 4. J.W. Harris, May, Texas, 84.5, $1,551; 5. (tie) Jarrod Craig, Hillsboro, Texas, Chris Roundy, Panguitch, Utah, and Tyler Willis, Wheatland, Wyo., 83, $752 each; 8. Clayton Savage, Casper, Wyo., $423.

Final Round: 1. Chad Denton, 91 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Cajun Monkey, $3,102; 2. Tyler Willis, 88, $2,350; 3. Clayton Savage, 84, $1,692.

Average: 1. Chad Denton, 181.5 points on two, $7,050; 2. Tyler Willis, 171, $5,405; 3. Clayton Savage, 166, $3,995; 4. Tyler Smith, 89 on one, $2,585; 5. Ryan Shanklin, 87, $1,645; 6. J.W. Harris, 84.5, $1,175; 7. (tie) Jarrod Craig and Chris Roundy, 83, $822 each.

The Cody-Yellowstone Seminole Hard Rock Xtreme Bulls Tour stop will be broadcast at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on July 19 on ESPN2. The program will re-air at noon (ET) Aug. 1 and Oct. 4 on ESPN Classic.

Xtreme Bulls TV schedule