A clown at the Calgary Stampede rodeo in 1982
Rodeo clowns, also called 'bullfighters,' risked their lives to protect fallen riders
Miles Hare put his life at risk every time he went to work in the bull pit.
Wearing nothing more than a colourful costume and some bright face paint, Hare's job when he spoke to CBC in 1982 was to distract angry bulls so fallen riders could escape to safety. It's a dangerous occupation, considering some of the bulls weigh over 4,000 pounds (or more than 1,800 kilograms).
The secret to a rodeo clown's longevity, said Hare, was anticipating the bull's next move. But it got tricky at times.
As Hare explained, he'd suffered his share of hits. He'd been a professional rodeo clown, also known as a "bullfighter," for eight years, getting his first taste of rodeo thrill at age 13.
What was it like being hit by a bull? "If a guy takes a pipe and hits someone in the rear end hard enough to send them 10 feet in the air," said Hare, "they'd get an idea of what we go through."
There were three different jobs that corresponded to the three different categories of rodeo clowns. The bullfighter's main responsibility was to protect the cowboy. The "barrelman" stayed inside the barrel and only emerged to distract the bull when needed. The comedy clown's main job was to entertain.
