A barrel of fun

Tuesday, Dec. 1, 1998 | 2:17 a.m.

Clowning around on the job usually gets you in more trouble than it's worth, unless you're Flint Rasmussen. "I see myself as being in the entertainment business," said Rasmussen, calling from his home in Stevensville, Mont.

Rasmussen, who's a professional rodeo clown, describes his job as an unusual mix of comedian and guardian angel.

"As a clown and barrelman you fill in dead spots at the rodeo, being that it's kind of a sport where there are things beyond our control that sometimes slow [the event] down," he said. In addition to picking up the slack, during many rodeos Rasmussen is the featured entertainment.

During the National Finals Rodeo, Rasmussen doesn't get a chance to do much clowning around since the event is so efficiently coordinated. But he gets plenty of practice in the other aspect of his job--keeping cowboys safe.

Rasmussen says he's been bruised by a bull's horn now and again, but admitted he's been very lucky in that he's never suffered a serious injury. When he's face-to-face with the bull, said Rasmussen, "You almost get a competitive edge where you don't think of [getting injured]. It usually happens so fast that you don't have time to be scared until afterwards when you're driving home and you start thinking about it."

This year Rasmussen is eligible for three different awards. He's in the running for the NFR Barrelman, an achievement bestowed by the top 20 bull riders. He's also received one of five nominations for PRCA's Clown of the Year, as well as a nomination for the Coors Man in the Can top barrelman award.

While Rasmussen's barrel offers some protection, it's all in perspective.

"When you see a bull throwing a barrel around, you take the weight of the barrel and the weight of me, it's over 300 pounds. It takes some power for sure," he said.

Fashioned from aluminum and insulated with foam padding and rubber, Rasmussen's barrel weighs about 160 pounds, or, about a tenth of one of the smaller bulls.

Rasmussen, who works full time as a rodeo clown-barrelman attending about 40 rodeos with approximately 115 performances a year, holds a degree in secondary education. This has given him plenty of experience dealing with fiery critters as a high school teacher.

"I always like to tell people that," Rasmussen explained, "because people tend to have an impression of a rodeo clown." But now you know the truth: If you're crazy enough to tackle a roomful of teenagers, what harm can a little ol' bull do?