There are just certain risks which people can’t seem to keep their eyes away from. One sporting event is known to work on this, keeping fans attuned as to just what the outcome of a “game” would be. This “game” would be Rodeo sporting events, particularly the bull riding event.

Just as with any other sporting event there is, there are principal players in Rodeo events, each with specific roles to play through the duration of a Rodeo Game. One of the most important players would be the Rodeo Clown, responsible for a valuable function, one which holds a “matter of life or death at stake” value.

Rodeo Bull Riding

In essence, the Rodeo is all about cattle/farm work, setting certain “mundane” tasks in the spotlight of the sport. The most main of highlights would be bull riding, where rodeo participants ride on the back of a bull.

Naturally, in bull riding events, the bull would do whatever it could to remove the rider off its back. This results to the whole point of bull riding as the rodeo game revolves around this, with the rider who rides the longest being declared as the winner. Again, naturally, this “game” is quite risky, resulting to either permanent physical injury, or worse death, should bull riders accidentally fall off and get trampled, or get off safely only to be chased after by the bull.

Here, Rodeo Clowns play an important role.

Rodeo Clowns and their Role

Typically, in today’s de facto course of rodeo events, once a bull rider is bucked off the back of a bull, what stands in between him/her and the possibility of being mauled over by 1400 pounds of raging bull is the rodeo clown.

Rodeo clowns are essentially important figures in rodeo, as their prime function would be misdirection. Once a bull rider finally lets go and lands on the ground, or gets thrown off the back of the bull, the chance of the bull trying to get back at him/her is there. It is the job of rodeo clowns to keep the bull’s attention divided, allowing rodeo riders to safely run for cover, while the bull itself is misdirected away from the rider in question.

Also, should a bull rider get into trouble, like being cornered, or his leg getting stuck on the saddle foot hold, rodeo clowns come into the scene helping riders to safety.  It is a dangerous task, and is one not expected from a clown, but the colourful getup stands to be quite attention grabbers for bulls, making a rodeo clown’s job of misdirection easier.

The original duty of rodeo clowns were that of entertaining the audience during rodeo downtimes, or breaks. As the years had progressed, the duties of rodeo clowns became more important, giving riders that “safety net” to riders should the unthinkable happen. The shift from entertainer to that of protector does seem a little bit off, but certain rodeos still showcase Rodeo Clown skits, giving them back their original duties as crowd entertainers.

Bottom line, assisting the cowboys in their riding is the main duty of rodeo clowns. It is not exactly the most glamorous of jobs there is, but is one which is quite necessary in keeping rodeo riders at their most safest possible.

Should you be someone who isn’t exactly fond of clowns, looking at a Rodeo Clown in action would definitely give you a different insight towards these make uped entertainers. Assisting cowboys in their bull riding, they are also tasked in keeping audiences entertained. Not exactly an easy task, Rodeo Clowns simply bring about a different angle towards how clowns are viewed.