Equine Times

by Kathe Kitchens

      Most people know them as "rodeo clowns" but their roles are much more complicated than might be imagined. "Rodeo clowns" are all cowboys at heart, but instead of chaps and boots they dress in brightly colored shirts, torn pants and suspenders, elbow & knee pads, a chest protector and sneakers. Then they carefully paint their faces with greasepaint (in their very own design) and go to work.

      The rodeo announcer introduces events and contestants, performers and scores. But the ringmaster in the arena at the typical rodeo is the Barrelman. From his padded barrel throne he trades jokes with the announcer and the crowd. From time to time he jumps down into his barrel and the bullfighters take him for a wild bullfight ride. It can be dangerous work. So why would Kenny Petet, a well educated man from the banking profession, choose this as his way of life? "It started out as a dare. I was working for a bank in Idaho, hanging out with some cowboy friends who gave me plenty of grief about my long hair and Harley Davidson. So one day we were arguing about whether bikers or cowboys were the toughest, and they dared me to try bronc riding. We drove over to their practice arena.

      That launched Petet into riding Broncs. His interest in rodeo led him to work for Bob Barnes, a Rodeo Contractor in Iowa. Petet learned the ropes of rodeo, hauling stock, traveling throughout the Great Lakes and First Frontier rodeo circuits. In addition to riding broncs, Petet worked as a pick up man, flank man, helped coordinate travel of stock and set up of rodeos. 

      While at a rodeo school, the bullfighter didn’t show up. Petet had a pair of sneakers in his truck, helped out and found a new interest.

      Bob Barnes told him to go to bullfighter’s school during the off season and he'd hire him to work the next year. So Kenny attended Lloyd Ketchum's program and went back to work for Bob. He expected to work 5 or 6 performances, but the regular bullfighter broke his leg in the first rodeo of the season. Kenny worked 54 rodeos that season and gained valuable experience and "best of all, I stayed alive" he says. He travelled for a few years, working rodeos all over the

country.

      Life brings changes for everyone. Kenny met Nicole, the woman he was determined to make his wife. Her family had a home in Texas. "I chased her down here and had to make a living, so I called Neal Gay to see if I could work for him". Neal invited Kenny out to the ranch, asked if he could drive a diesel truck and move livestock, and hired him. He has worked in Mesquite as a bullfighter and in various other capacities for other rodeos produced by the Rafter G, the Gay family ranch, for the past 8 years. During that time, Kenny says, "Neal Gay taught me how to be a businessman and a responsible, grown man. I was a 30-year old kid. Neil Gay's mentoring has helped me create and run two successful businesses in addition to the Mesquite Rodeo and Rafter G work.

      A little over two years ago, Neil asked Kenny to have lunch with him. "Neil takes you to lunch alone because there's something to talk about", and was stunned and excited when he asked Kenny to take over "for a couple of weeks" when veteran barrelman Frank Mcllvain Sr. retired.

Responsible for the hiring of bullfighters each week, Kenny is particular and chooses only the professionals he can rely on to do their job well. Make no mistake; these guys are serious. They have to be serious, because their own life and those of others are dependent on their expertise and they stay in top shape to stay out of danger. Some of Kenny's favorite local bullfighters are Dustin Adams of Athens, Jesse Vick of Burleson, and Lance Mcllvain of Mesquite.