Send in the clown

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This article was published 21/08/2023 (932 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While a lot of rodeo clowns don’t wear comically oversized footwear like their circus counterparts, Scott Byrne still had some big shoes to fill in Virden last week.

The veteran bullfighter, who lives just west of Brandon, made his Virden Indoor Rodeo debut as a clown this past Friday, succeeding mentor Lee Bellows who had taken on this role at the event for nearly three decades.

Following Bellows’ retirement — combined with the hiatus brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic — the Virden Indoor Rodeo had been without a clown for several years, with this absence becoming even more pronounced following the death of this beloved entertainer back in March.

Luckily, Byrne decided to step up and fill the void this summer, with the hope of honouring his mentor’s legacy while also putting on a show that Virden audiences haven’t seen for some time.

“The whole town got behind it and it was packed there last night,” Byrne told the Sun on Saturday afternoon. “So it’s exciting. It’s great to be a part of it.”

Byrne is no stranger to the rodeo circuit, coming from a family of famous bullfighters who have put their bodies on the line for decades to protect the well-being of athletes.

Byrne began doing this job professionally in 1997, starting with smaller events before working his way up to high-profile gigs like the Calgary Stampede and the Canadian Finals Rodeo.

Despite never suffering a life-altering injury, Byrne said he’s received his fair share of war wounds through luring these giant animals away after their riders are sent flying.

“I’ve had lots of broken ribs, lots of broken hands, my face got stepped on and stuff like that,” he said. “But as long as the bull riders were OK, I was happy. We’re kind of wired that way.”

Throughout his career as a professional bullfighter, Byrne regularly worked side-by-side with rodeo clowns, whose job was much more focused on entertaining the crowd and providing comic relief.

After retiring from bullfighting in 2015, Byrne eventually warmed up to the idea of transitioning into the role of a pure entertainer, with Bellows, a long-time collaborator on the rodeo circuit, able to show him the tricks of the trade before he passed.

“Lee was a perfectionist and a professional gentleman who always did his job,” Byrne said. “He took it seriously, even though it was a job of trying to entertain and put smiles on faces. That’s all he ever asked of anybody, ever, and it’s just good to carry on and give it a 110 per cent every time.”

In April, Byrne finally debuted his rodeo clown persona at a semi-pro event in Tisdale, Sask., drawing on Bellows’ tutelage and his own experience as a TSN commentator to really engage with the crowd.

By the time he arrived at Tundra Oil and Gas Place in Virden this past week, Byrne was much more comfortable with this new role and relished the fact that he’s no longer directly in the bull’s crosshairs.

“I don’t miss getting hit, that’s for sure,” he said. “But with being an entertainer there’s, I would say, more pressure since you’re there to make sure that people are laughing.”

Virden Indoor Rodeo president Ronnie Brown told the Sun that he was quite pleased with Byrne’s performance and would be more than willing to give him the chance to come back next year.

Not only does the rodeo clown persona add an extra layer of authenticity and tradition to the proceedings, but Byrne’s years of experience in this profession do come in handy if things go sideways in the ring.

“He knows the game enough to not get himself into too many bad spots,” Brown said. “But if someone does get into a jam, he is capable of getting in there and helping them out.”

Byrne was similarly open to the idea of returning to the Virden rodeo next year, especially since performing alongside his son Brayden, who’s become a skilled bullfighter in his own right, was a real rush this past week.

“He’s carrying the torch,” Byrne said. “He’s been fighting bulls for four to five years now … so we’re a kind of a father-son duo.”

And while his place at the rodeo has taken a slightly goofier turn, face paint and all, Byrne still feels like he has a lot of gas left in the tank for this kind of physical work, even at 51 years old.

“I like what I’m doing and not too many people can push their chair up to their desk every day and say ‘Gosh I like this job,’” he said.

“Well, I’m a guy who gets to push his chair up to his desk and have fun and make some money doing it too.”

Because of Byrne’s various contributions to the rodeo community, he’s received a number of accolades throughout his career. This includes being inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 2020 and being named the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association’s Cowboy of the Year in 2016.

Outside of his role as a rodeo performer, Byrne boards horses just outside of Brandon and works as a sales rep for Wrangler brand clothing.

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com