A clown at the Calgary Stampede rodeo in 1982 | CBC - Action News
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A clown at the Calgary Stampede rodeo in 1982

Rodeo clown Miles Hare protected cowboys and entertained the crowd at the Calgary Stampede in 1982.

Rodeo clowns, also called 'bullfighters,' risked their lives to protect fallen riders

Not his first rodeo: clown explains tricks of his trade

42 years ago
Duration 2:29
Rodeo clown Miles Hare protects cowboys and entertains the crowd at the Calgary Stampede in 1982.

Miles Hare puthis life at risk every time he wentto 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 distractangry bulls so fallen riders couldescape to safety. It's a dangerous occupation, considering some of the bulls weigh over 4,000 pounds (or more than 1,800 kilograms).

Bull sends rodeo clown flying
A bull sends rodeo clown Bob Morrison of Crossfield, Alta., sailing after he attempted to distract the animal during bull riding action at the Calgary Stampede rodeo on Monday, July 10, 2000. (Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)

The secret to a rodeo clown's longevity, saidHare, was anticipating the bull's next move. But it got tricky at times.

As Hare explained, he'dsuffered his share of hits. He'dbeen 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," saidHare, "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" stayedinside the barrel and only emergedto distract the bull when needed. The comedy clown's main job was to entertain.

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