“Get Busy Livin’ or Get Busy Dyin’”

Bryson bull riding in Oolagah, Oklahoma. Photography by: Shea Cardwell

"Life is like riding a bull. You're going to fall, but always remember to get back up," said Bryson Denton.

Monday through Friday you will find Denton in an office working as an inventory specialist in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but when Saturday night comes around, he’s usually on top of a bucking bull in a rodeo arena.

Denton, a 23-year-old Sand Springs native, has a hobby that even most thrill-seekers take a pass on: bull riding. Bull riding has been a tradition for over a century, and is still one of the most sought-after rodeo events for onlookers. 

The thrill of sitting upon an 1,800-pound bucking creature is something that is hard to explain, Denton said.

"I can't tell you how it feels,” Denton said. “There's this strange moment of silence while in the chute, and when that gate swings open it's like going 100 on the highway and not slowing down.”

When giving advice to people coming into the industry, Denton has two things to say.

“‘It's not if you get hurt but, when you get hurt,’ and know that ‘if you are going to do it, do it with your all,’” Denton said.

Denton started bull riding after a good friend of his taught him the ins and outs of how the industry worked. He spent three years out of the rodeo lifestyle but the love for the sport never died. During this three-year hiatus, Bryson and his now fiancée, Codi introduced Lane, their rodeo-loving son, into the world in 2021.

Family photo of Codi, Lane and Bryson. Photography by Erica Teel

The love for the sport pushed Bryson back into the arena, he said. Something kept pulling him back into it, he added.

"Once having kids, you see things in such a different way,” Denton said. "Looking out after a win and seeing Lane in the crowd, and knowing he has a feeling of ‘That's my dad,’ is something hard to explain."

He wouldn't be able to be a part of this lifestyle without the love and support of his fiancée, who encourages him and is a great mother to Lane.

Looking forward five years, Bryson has hopes to pursue his passion for bull riding full time, and he feels he can make this dream into a reality, he said.

"I want to leave a legacy behind for my kids and I hope one day I achieve that," he said.

According to Bryson, there are only two options we all have and those are "Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’," and that is ultimately up to us on which we choose.

Story By: Tré Smith, TreBee Farms founder and owner

Edited By: Sarah Palmer, freelance writer and editor