Whether it is after a
successful 8-second ride or in the midst of a twisting turn just out
of the gate, bull riders have to find their way to the ground - and to
safety. But the riders don't face this challenge alone. A brave and
athletic group of professionals known as
bullfighters and barrelmen
are essential to the riders' escape.
Though a barrelman’s attire is similar to that of a bullfighter, his
presence in the arena serves a much different purpose. A barrelman’s
duty is to entertain the crowd during the “down time” that is inherent
to the sport of bull riding. When bulls are being loaded or the show
is on hold due to unexpected breaks, a barrelman takes over and amuses
spectators with impromptu dance routines or comical dialogue with the
event’s announcers. The barrelman often can be found hanging around or
in a custom-made barrel placed in the arena’s center. The barrel not
only protects the barrelman from a charging bull but also provides
bull riders with an island of safety if he is bucked off far from the
arena fence or bucking chutes.
While they may look like funny-faced clowns in bright tights and baggy
shorts, their job is no laughing matter. The mission of every
bullfighter and barrelman is to divert the bull's attention away from
the exiting rider by whatever means possible. For a bullfighter, that
may mean jumping on top of a moving bull to free a bull rider's hand
or sprinting jaggedly across the arena to distract a charging bull.
Working from an open-ended barrel, the barrelman serves as a diversion
for an angry bull. It may look like the best seat for close up action,
but the barrel with the barrelman inside often ends up in the path of
an incoming bull - pushed there by the bullfighter in an effort to
provide escape time for a downed or injured rider.
These skilled athletes not only risk their lives to save riders, the
bullfighters and barrelmen are an exciting and entertaining part of
all rodeo performances. They perform tricks and banter with the
announcers to entertain the audience.
