A look at the dangerous job of the rodeo clowns.
When rodeo first began, the concept of clowns developed as a way to entertain spectators in between shows or events and to keep the children in the audience from becoming restless. The clowns' role has evolved greatly since then, with one clue being that clowns on the rodeo circuit today are known as "bullfighters".
The primary purpose of rodeo clowns has become to protect bull riders from serious injuries or even death. Bullfighters often endanger their own lives to save a rodeo cowboy, working to distract the bull so the rider can escape to the nearest gate or rail. Fiesty, 2,000-pound bulls are very different from horses - while a horse tries to avoid stepping on a downed human, bulls actually go out of their way to attack anything that gets in their path. In addition, bulls used in bullfighting are bred to be smaller, quicker and more agile than those used in bull riding. They can compete for many years, and they learn from their mistakes and change their strategies to gain the upper hand.
Three different categories of rodeo clown represent three different jobs. The "bullfighter" is primarily concerned with protecting the cowboy. A "barrelman" remains in a barrel during the cowboy's ride and emerges to distract the bull if needed. "Comedy clowns" are primarily crowd entertainers.
Underneath their silly costumes, rodeo clowns wear special equipment to help protect them from injuries to their chests, ribs, thighs, hips, tailbones, shins and ankles.
According to F.J. "Scooter" Culbertson, professional rodeo clown, bullfighter and barrelman for the Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association, "Getting hit by a bull is like getting hit by a car going 20 mph. It's not if you are going to get hurt. It's when and how bad." During 23 years of rodeo, Culbertson reportedly suffered 24 broken bones, three concussions, a dislocated jaw, internal injuries, and a torn-off ear.
The first Wranger Jeans ProRodeo Bullfight Tour was held in 1980 to formalize the bullfights and daredevil stunts the clowns were performing at the time. According to the rules, the fighter must remain in the arena with the bull for at least 40 seconds to gain points. An additional 30 seconds is optional. However, he has the option of ending the fight at any time by throwing his hat in the ring. Points are awarded for the way a fighter moves around the bull, how well he controls the action in the ring, how close the bull actually gets to him, and the number of risks he takes during the fight.
To ride a bull, a bull rider slips his hand into a split in a rope that fits snugly around and behind the bull's right shoulder. The cowboy uses his free arm to balance himself, and is disqualified for touching the bull, himself, or the equipment with the free hand. Upper body control, strong legs, and great balance are essential components for bull riders.
In rodeo, bullfighting does not resemble the Spanish type of bullfighting in any way. Rodeo bulls always leave the arena alive and unharmed. The same can't always be said for the riders, but given a choice, they'll do it again. One rider said, "I've been stepped on, swung around like a rag doll and had my face ground into the dirt. It's all part of the game. I'd still ride in every rodeo if I could."
