Being a rodeo clown is a highly seasonal (or highly mobile) career path, rodeos often travel and are active when the weather permits. While an exciting job that offers a lot of spirited activity and contact with the animals, it is also among the most dangerous.
What You Need
Qualities of a good rodeo clown will vary by show and location. Regardless of where they are, they will need a strong understanding of the animals around them, which is seldom limited to horses. This understanding will help keep them on their feet uninjured. On top of the danger an engaging personality and even a bit of acting or theatric ability are important in this line of work.
A good sense of humor, a strong understanding of animal body language and physical strength are important in any good rodeo clown.
Job Description
Responsibilities included in the job can be varied and often include care and feeding regimens in addition to actively performing. Performance seasons will require long dedicated hours and slow times may mean being out of work for long stretches. Clowns spend their time in the main area entertaining crowds and providing support for riders and other performers.
Responsibilities Include
Establishing a personality with an act and skits
Creating and maintaining a costume with makeup
Entertaining rodeo goers
Supporting riders and performances
Traveling with shows and living on the road
Care for show animals
Requirements
The requirements for this position will vary tremendously and some shows may require a high school diploma. However this is a position where experience probably rule over education.
Resources
A few places to start if you are interested in a career as a rodeo clown. We couldn’t find much rodeo specific, but the resource below covers clowns of all types.
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World Clown Association
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