Tickets are on sale for the New Year’s Eve bull riding event at the Rafter 3C Arena.
Photo by Steve Ranson.
Chad Denton is bullish on celebrating New Year’s Eve in Fallon.
Denton is the promoter of the third annual Roughy Top Gun Invitational Xtreme Bulls on the last day of 2024 at the Rafter 3C Arena. The event filled every spectator seat last year and he expects the same this year.
“This year we’re a PRCA (Profession Rodeo Cowboys Association) event,” Denton said. “We’ll have the top money earners.”
Denton, who grew up in Round Mountain, said many of the competitors are also members of the Professional Bull Riders.
Doors for the event open at 5 p.m., bull riding starts at 8 p.m., and Denton said the event will continue all night. The city of Fallon will also shoot off New Year’s Eve fireworks beginning at 6 p.m. at the Rafter 3C Complex.
Because the Top Gun Invitational is now a PRCA event in only its third year, Denton said many of the cowboys from last year are no longer qualified to compete.
Denton expects a big crowd because the New Year’s Eve saddle bronc riding in Winnemucca was canceled this year. Last year Denton said he’s aware fans traveled to Fallon’s night of bull riding from as far east as Battle Mountain and as far south as Pahrump, which is an hour west of Las Vegas.
“Fallon’s a great place for bull riding,” Denton said.
Tickets for the Fallon bull riding are available for $30 at The Grid, Les Schwab, 3D Shipping or online athttps://www.bustedupproductions.com/. Tickets are $35 at the door. Denton said VIP options include table seating for nine for $1,000 and singles for $125, with meal and bar service provided by Troy's Double Shot.
After the bull riding, country singer Chad Bushnell takes the stage. Music Dreams USA says “Chad exudes the Americana spirit wrapped up into his lyrics and melodies.”
Bushnell, who lives near Red Bluff, Calif., with his wife, has opened for Dwight Yoakam, Kris Kristofferson, Neil McCoy, Billy Currington, Mark Wills, Collin Raye, Mark Chesnutt, Jerrod Neimann, Exile and many others. His single “What Would Jesus Do?” reached No. 1 on the Christian Country Music charts in December 2018.
Denton said The Grid behind Walmart is the Top Gun Invitational’s headquarters where riders and fans can kick off the festivities.
Denton said a bull riding school is planned for Saturday, and the competing bull riders will attend a Fallon Boot Barn signing on Monday between 2-3 p.m. Boot Barn is located at 2105 W. Williams Ave.
TJ Gray, who competed at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, will be at Boot Barn along with last year’s champ Jordan Spears.
In a tight race among the top five riders at the 2023 bull riding, Spears of Redding, Calif., edged Scott Wells of Queensland, Australia, by a half point in the average, 166 to 165.5 points, to finish the first go in second place with 85 points and the second go with 82.
Later in the day at 6 p.m. Denton said the community is invited to a pre-party at The Grid where the riders will be auctioned at a Cowboy Calcutta. Guests will be able to bid on prizes and be part of the fun with 75% of the auction’s proceeds going toward the Fallon chapter of the Nevada Bighorns Unlimited.