OklahomaHorses Magazine Sept 2022

26 OklahomaHorses • September / October 2022 Clowning Around John Harrison Is a Rodeo Sensation by Kim Redo | Photos courtesy of John Harrison W hen he grins and his eyes start to dart around, the yellow-and-red- bedecked rodeo clown is up to mischief, without a doubt. There is no way an audience can miss those bright colors. His smile is infectious. He works fluidly with any announcer, providing great enter- tainment while filling the time gaps during a rodeo. John Harrison, professional rodeo clown, makes us laugh ... all of us. The 43-year-old entertainer from Soper started to clown around in 1999 while competing in Dubuque, Iowa. The rodeo clown assigned for that job had failed to show up. Eager to help out (Harrison is a bit of a ham) and with plenty of rodeo experience, he stepped up and put it all to use. The rest is history. Harrison’s love for the job and his dedi- cation led to his being crowned Coors Man in the Can four times. He has appeared at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 10 times — seven times as barrel clown (bull riding) and three times as the specialty act. He won Comedy Act of the Year in 2012, 2014–2015, 2020, and 2021. These prestigious awards define how Harrison’s peers feel about him. His ability to pair up with different rodeo announcers is the key to his success. That and his unique trick-riding act with Gus — his main horse — truly make Harrison one of a kind. Growing Up in an Arena With his dad and older brother active in tie-down roping, Harrison grew up in an arena. But his interests and youthful fiascos led him to try plenty of different things with his pony, beginning with standing on his back. He found trick riding not only interesting but challenging. “I got my first trick riding lesson from Bonnie Williams, who was laying over at my grandpa’s place between rodeos. Lots of folks used to stop over there. He [Harri- son’s grandfather, Freckles Brown] had lots of friends. I was six years old learning how to hang upside down on a horse,” Harrison said. (Freckles Brown was a rodeo legend who rode the “unrideable” bull Tornado. Among numerous other accolades, he was the 1962 World Champion Bull Rider.) Was Harrison’s mother concerned about him getting into a wreck? “Actually, she was relieved. She was hoping for anything but a bull rider. She had seen her dad get hurt some and didn’t want that for us boys.” Left, rodeo clown and trick rider John Harrison and his horse Gus are a winning team in the rodeo arena. Carla and John Harrison enjoy life on the road with their family during the summer rodeo season.