Clowning at the Rodeo - Extreme Sports - Ask Toy Tech

A Joker in the Middle of the Freeway
Welcome to the Life of a Rodeo Clown

From right, Trent McFarland, and Fellow Performers Cowboy and Copenhagen

Trent McFarland, one of the most outstanding rodeo clowns working today, was once asked to describe what it is like to work at his profession.

His response was indicative of a dry wit. Trent said, "It's like standing in the middle of a freeway while telling jokes."

This article is dedicated to Trent McFarland, and to others like him who keep rodeo audiences entertained while attempting to ensure the safety of all participants, cowboys and animals alike.

Those of us who have attended rodeos have seen the following many times:

A two-thousand pound bull, Toro, the bearer of horn and hoof, angered that, without invitation, a cowboy has hitched a ride, twists and turns, bucks and blasts his way across the arena.

To horn and hoof's delight, the cowpoke has now fallen from his perch, and is about to reap the whirlwind. And, a harvest of pulsating pain it will be.

A Broken Leg and Arm Just Seconds Away

With a huff, a stomp, and a charge, vengeance is headed for a final turn.

The distance between the bull's fierce equipment, and the prostrate cowboy is vanishing at a rate only those familiar with Toro's deceptive speed can appreciate.

At the last instant, a virtual microsecond in advance of horn and flesh uniting in a flash of torso tearing destruction, an apparition appears before Toro's eyes. A ragged, crayon-faced something has lunged betwixt horn and hoof and his helpless target.

"Suit yourself, crayon. You are just as good as any other," Toro seems to say.

Clowns Ready to Take a Beating

But, the crayon-face proves elusive. With high step and dance, again and again the bull fails to land a convincing blow. Slowly, but inevitably, the energy necessary for honor's satisfaction leaks away from Toro.

Finally, horn and hoof, having exhausted himself, is allowed to save face, "fooled" into the holding paddock.

Dozens of times during the course of a traditional rodeo, this same scene plays itself out.

Incredible as it seems, painted faces of many designs have chosen, as a livelihood, to frustrate every attempt by toros uncountable to exact violence upon helpless cowboys.

Welcome to the life of Trent McFarland, athlete, hero, rodeo clown and barrel man.

This Time a Parody - Next Time, It May Not Be

It goes without saying that rodeo clowns have one of the most dangerous jobs in show business.

The job requires the grace, and athletic ability of a stuntman, and the ability to deliver improvisational comedy, all with a mad bull in the immediate vicinity.

This exposes rodeo matadors to a variety of potential injuries, from bad to worse.

Injuries to rodeo clowns are very common. And, there isn't an insurance company in the world that will touch them. For, in rodeo clowning, it's not IF an individual is going to be injured, it's how often, and how badly.

Some rodeo clowns prefer the title "matador," or "bull fighter" because their job involves taunting a bull already in a bad mood.

From ToysPeriod's perspective, rodeo clowns have earned whatever title they wish.

VIDEO: Introducing Bodacious - The Kind of Bull Trent McFarland and His Brothers of the Paint Must Find a Way to Handle:

Rodeo Clowning Etiquette

Trent McFarland Showing Audience His Bronc Busting Skills

As with any other occupation, there are certain expectations, specific methods of operation that rodeo clowns are counted on to know, and know well enough to be able to perform them well in the face of clear and imminent danger.

The ability to function well when bodily injury threatens is not for the faint of heart.

It is a role reserved for the stout, brave soul, the soldier, or saint, and no other, someone who has chosen to be the difference between serious injury or even death, and a cowboy being able to report for supper on time.

After the cowboy dismounts in any manner, either at the end of the "clocked" time or before, the clowns move in to do their essential job, that is, to distract the bull by providing an alternative target for his rage.

Seconds Before Rodeo Clowns Become Critically Important

Traditionally, rodeo clowns work in groups of three.

Two of the clowns are, in effect, roaming bullfighters, and the third is known as the barrel man. Some clowns, like Trent McFarland, can, and do, do it all, and from rodeo to rodeo, wherever Trent is needed to protect cowboys and keep the audience entertained, that's where Trent will be.

Just as the roaming clowns protect the cowboys from the bulls, so too the barrel man serves to protect the roaming clowns from Toro after they distract the bull away from the helpless cowboy.

The reference to the barrel is simple. The barrel, shown at left can be easily entered by the barrel man. At that point, if the bull is of a mind, he can take his fury out on the barrel.

One problem though. Barrel men, once in the barrel, have nowhere to hide.

Should a hoof or horn enter the barrel, a very dangerous situation has evolved, one that has seriously, even critically injured many barrel men. A hoof inside the barrel has two thousand pounds of thrust behind it. No Spartan spear has ever been more deadly.

In addition to saving lives and preventing injury to cowboys, the rodeo clown also provides entertainment to the audience, that is, he provides the glue that transitions one individual cowboy performance to the next. Without the clowns, obvious dead spaces would appear in the rodeo program.

Many of the skits rodeo clowns provide are parodies of cowboy skills, as the photo (at right - below) of Trent McFarland working with Copenhagen demonstrates.

Copenhagen Humoring His Owner, Trent McFarland

Clearly Copenhagen, in deadpanning Trent's rope trick, provides the audience with an exhibition of just how smart he, Copenhagen, is. While other dogs would jump around and snap at such a rope, this well trained, beloved animal sits there allowing his master to look like, well, a clown.

Rodeo clowns enter the ring on foot before the bulls are freed. They wear colorful, baggy clothing, giving the bull plenty of room in the garments to miss the man with his trusty horns.

The clowning turns serious when a rider has been thrown or injured in some way. In a case such as that, the clown deliberately places his person between the bull and the now helpless cowboy.

Clowns use every technique (including prayer) to encourage the bull's eye to follow him, the clown.

Techniques which accomplish this task include running off at sharp angles, yelling like a banshee, throwing floppy hats or stuffed toys, just anything and everything to prevent the cowboy from being hit with the full force of a bull's charge.

This Cowboy Has Gotten "Hung Up"

When a cowboy gets "hung up," that is, caught up in one of the rope winds attached to the bull, jeopardy to cowboy and clown alike triples. In those cases, one clown attempts to get hold of the bulls head, and another works to free the cowboy.

As if their work isn't dangerous enough, rodeo clowns also have their own competitions when not protecting cowboys.

In these competitions, bulls are released into the arena, and the clown works with the confused animal. The clowns are evaluated on how well they control the bull, and maneuver the bull to certain areas of the arena.

Precision in "jumping" the bull is also rated. Jumping is defined as coming into contact with the bull.

In addition, just like the old GATHERINGS of the 19th century (see History below), clowns often put on shows during intermission with maneuvering and jumping being part of the show.... anything to keep the fans enjoying the experience of rodeo.

Video: Cowboy Hung Up on Bull - This is a Ride of a Lifetime:

Video: Cowboy Hung Up on Bull - For the Stout of Heart:

ToysPeriod's Top Five

Rodeo Clown Hall of Fame

Jim Anderson

Jim Anderson

This athlete saved countless lives during his 32 years as a professional matador, bull fighter, rodeo clown or simply hero. Cowboys who owe their lives to Jim include, to name a few, Ted Nuce, Jim Sharp, Ty Murray, Tuff Dedeman, Donnie Gay and Charlie Samson.

How does anyone put a label on a man with that kind of record of putting his own life in jeopardy to save others. Were we in the military, there would be only one satisfactory decoration.

Instead "Jimmy" is remembered through his inclusion in the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in Pecos, Texas, and the Cowboy Capital Walk of Fame in Stephenville, Texas; but most of all, professional cowboy matadors remember him as a friend. Jim died in 2008 at age 55 in the only State he truly loved with all his heart: Texas.

Rudy Burns

Started his career on the backs of bulls rather than trying to get them mad at him in other ways. Rudy, like all the great ones, has saved lots of cowboys from prematurely checking in at the pearly gates.

Rudy Burns

In this day of imaginative titles, Rudy was one of the first rodeo bullfighters to be called a "rodeo protection athlete." No matter what Rudy is called, it is the fact he always responds WHEN he is called that matters most.

He has been named Barrel Man of the Year twice and has been runner up on many other occasions. Rudy's secret weapon is his wife, Janet, who keeps him on the straight and narrow. When the big stages at the Las Vegas National Finals Rodeo beckon, Rudy is always on everybody's mind for entertainment. And, Janet is there backing him up, making sure he is ready to do the job for which everyone looks to him to do like no other.

Rudy Burns Video:

Trent McFarland

In addition to the skills described elsewhere in this article, ToysPeriod has chosen Trent McFarland to be in the top five in this clearly dangerous field of endeavor for a number of reasons, the most important of which is his proven willingness to sacrifice himself for others both in and out of the arena. In addition, Trent's love of family, his fellow athletes, his country and his devotion to his animal companions, are all part of the essence of what makes a merely good rodeo clown, great.

Shane Simpson

Self described as a "guardian of the arena," Shane Simpson, like the others ToysPeriod admires, does indeed save lives, lives put at risk for a sport that is, Spartan like, at the very heart of cowboy culture.

Simpson is, on everyone's scorecard, one of the top five bull fighters in the world. Shane routinely stands between helpless cowboys and career ending injuries or worse.

Shane Simpson

Shane, in off the cuff interviews casually says things like, "broken backs, and ruptured spleens are well within the job description."

Paraphrasing Shane, he says, "I'm supposed to be looking after number one, me, as I work. But, it doesn't always work out that way. It's just common sense. If I am going to get the bull away from a downed rider, I have to go after the bull. When I do that, I don't know how I'm going to look after number one. That's why when I go looking for insurance, lots of folks just laugh at me as they show me the door."

Shane continues, "I was working up the Gulf of Carpentaria, catching wild bulls. We'd ride up alongside the bulls on motorbike, and catch them by the tail, pull them down and tie them to a tree." Sounds like Shane's idea of taking care of number one strays a bit from most of us.

Simpson was raised in Central Queensland, Australia by a returned Vietnam soldier, miner and butcher.

"Troubled," is a rather mild description of his family's situation. So, after Shane ran away from home, he finally ended up in BoysTown, Australia.

He learned lots about values there. Now that he is in the United States, he has become a beacon for what one can do if one sets one's mind to it.

Slim Pickens

So, how did Shane get the nickname Mad Dog? In Shane's words, "When I was working in the Gulf, the boss bet me I wouldn't lie down and let the boys drive a herd of 30 head of cattle over me. I took the bet and they all jumped right over me," he says, pausing before adding dryly, "I was kind of hoping they would."

Slim Pickens

It is impossible, in a Hall of Fame section referencing rodeo clowns, not to mention this personality, if only because of the madcap, devil may care, sacrifice at all costs, image he projected on screen, as well as in the arena.

His appearance as the pilot in the movie, Dr. Strangelove, is a classic, in that, not only was he able to support in a meaningful way the comedy of Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, and a host of other strong personalities, but he was able to, in effect, steal the show, by providing the film's punch line. He did that by mounting a nuclear device in a "get the job done at all costs," manner, the very same message that the public attaches to the profession of rodeo clown.

Here we have a pilot, about to end the world as we know it, making certain his crew's survival kit is complete, just moments before sacrificing his life happily, as he slaps the side of his bronc, taking the ride of his life.

On the Bomb

Before or since, there has never been 15 seconds of film that has so impressed itself on the public's mind as the ultimate in rodeo clowning (see clip below), albeit on a Hollywood set. It is the energy of Slim's personality that is atomic in that scene, and the one that will be remembered and mentioned anywhere, anytime famous rodeo clowns are discussed.

Slim's appearances on programs like TV's Gunsmoke provided the other side of the rodeo clown image, that is, the beloved fellow going from rags to riches and back again, while winning everyone's heart with his optimistic view of what life is all about.

Choosing our top five was difficult, and we could have chosen many others. Quail Dobbs, Flint Rasmussen, Kajun Kidd, Buck LeGrand, Miles Hare, John Tatum, Rob Smets, Duane Hargo, Leon Coffee, Matt Darmody, and Nathan Marshall, Brian Potter, Cory Wall, Red Sublett, Nick Jensen, and many more.

Video: Dr. Strangelove. Slim Pickens Riding the Bomb:

History of the Rodeo

19th Century Spanish Vaqueros

There are lots of theories of how rodeo got its start.

The smartest wager is that the elements of which modern day rodeo is composed were sewn, at about the same time, in several wide ranging locations, and for about the same reasons. That is, it is hard to herd cattle, whether in Argentina, Mexico or Colorado without doing many of the same things, requiring similar skills.

And, the nature of man has always been to compete to determine who or what is the best in any field.

That being the case, it would have been surprising if rodeo or events very similar to rodeo HADN'T taken place in all the locations mentioned above.

Modern Day Vaqueros

One thing is for certain though, rodeo occupies a singular position with respect to American culture.

Many have said, correctly, that rodeo is a window to the past, as well as providing a thrilling modern sport.

Horse breaking, riding, branding, herding and the preservation of animal life, all had a part in seventeenth and eighteenth century "cowboying."

Originally, Spanish cowboys, known as vaqueros, established many of the traditions, clothing, and language that evolved around cattle ranching.

The American cowboy took up where the vaqueros left off, and, eventually, developed both the ranching techniques of the American West, as well as the modern day rodeo.

Of course, today, equipment is modern, but the rodeo events are still based on the day to day chores that early cowboys had to master to be effective in their work.

Tie-down roping, bronc riding and many other contests seen in modern day rodeo were all part of the serious business of cattle ranching, especially in 19th century America.

For example, ranchers in the Southwest would arrange for cattle drives to herd large numbers of steers to the stockyards in Missouri and Kansas. From there, the cattle were transported East.

19th Century The Wild West Show

In large local areas on holidays, like July 4th, and at the end of long trail drives at the rail heads, men would challenge each other to determine which of the cattlemen had the best riders, ropers and all around cowboys.

It was from these planned, as well as spur of the moment, challenges, that modern rodeo would be born.

Throughout the 19th century, cowboying was at the height of its tradition, the so-called golden age of the cowboy.

At the end of the 19th century, with the arrival of large numbers of settlers needing and claiming land, as well as the invention of barbed wire, and the push of the railroads to every major location, cattle drives became impossible as well as unnecessary.

With the demise of the cattle drive, wild west shows and rodeo events, as well as the so called "gatherings" rose to prominence.

From Left to Right: William F. Cody, Pawnee Bill, Buffalo Jones

For example, Buffalo Bill Cody, the 101 Ranch Wild West Show, and Pawnee Bill's Wild West show all developed their own version of what the wild west was like.

At the same time as the wild west shows were being performed, there was some ability for a cowboy to supplement his income by competing in informal competitions at stock horse shows.

Cowboys could also at times display their cowboying skills at so-called "Gatherings" for paying customers. "Gatherings" did not generally involve cowboys competing against each other. They were put on for the public who, just like watching plays or concerts, would pay for the privilege of seeing these skilled cowboys ply their exciting trade.

It was the cowboy competitions and "Gatherings" uniting into one event that eventually became what we know today as rodeo. The wild west shows did not survive because of the high cost of organizing them.

The largest and best known 19th century rodeos were held in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Prescott, Arizona, although there were many communities throughout the United States that sponsored rodeos, as they do today.

Ron - Toy Tech

Video: Tribute to Rodeo:

Video: The Agony:

Video: When the Bull Won't Give Up: See it at YouTube

Friday, 9:27 am | May 13th, 2011

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