The sport of rodeo has been bringing people together across the country for decades. Now, it’s time for those that provided the entertainment every night to join one another.
This weekend, Aug. 6-8, past and present rodeo entertainers will travel to Colorado for the Rodeo Clown Reunion. The event will kick off at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., Friday, Aug. 6, with more than 40 clowns set to attend the event.
“We have been wanting to host this reunion for a few years now, and this year it will finally happen,” said Kent Sturman, Director of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. “There is so much talent among these rodeo performers. It will be a lot of fun to see the acts of years ago brought back to life. Their accumulated years in the rodeo arena as barrelmen, clowns, bullfighters and funnymen add up to almost a thousand years. It will be a fun day for the entire family.”
The rodeo performers attending the event say it’s like a family reunion. In total, they have combined to spend nearly a thousand years in rodeo arenas.
“We really are all a family, when you look at it,” said Larry Clayman, a PRCA rodeo clown from 1954-79. “We’ve all traveled around the country, been chased a time or two, and definitely have a ton of stories to tell, that’s for sure. They are truly like family to me and my wife, and it’s always good seeing family. We can’t wait to get to Colorado Springs for the event.”
Many of the performers grew up with each other on the road, with a handful even rodeoing with more than one generation in each family.
“I started going out and doing acts with my father when I was really young, so I’ve performed with some of these guys and even their parents,” said Jerry Wayne Olson, former Chairman of the Rodeo Clowns for the PRCA. “We’ve been going to the reunion for three years, and I think I get to see another old friend each time.”
The fun doesn’t stop at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. The clowns will travel to the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo in Castle Rock, Colo., Aug. 7-8. Throughout the weekend there will be Q&A sessions, trick roping, magic acts, clown face painting, ‘Dress up like a Rodeo Clown’ for kids, photos with clowns and autograph sessions.
For more information on the event, you can visit the ProRodeo Hall of Fame website.
Source: ProRodeo
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