Mesquite News 2004;  BY STEVE ROE; SPORTS EDITOR

Get into a washing machine, set it on the spin cycle and then shove it down a flight of stairs. That's the best way Kenny Petet can describe the sensation of an I5OO-pound bull rolling him across the Resistol  Arena floor in a barrel.

      Petet is the barrel man at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo. He is in his second year in the barrel, taking over for (the retired "Daddy" Frank Mcllvain. Petet was one of (the rodeo clowns, also called bullfighters, for nine years before taking over as the barrel man.

      Petet first started in rodeos in Idaho riding bareback and saddle broncs before getting into the entertainment part of the rodeo instead of (he competitive part. "There was a contractor in Iowa I was the pickup man for," said Petet. "They put on clinics, and the clown didn't show up. I had tennis shoes in the truck. It kind of snowballed from there. It's kind of cool because it's a guaranteed check."

      After working as a clown in Iowa he made a deal with MCR founder Neal Gay to come work in Mesquite, and the rest, as they say, is history.

      There are three people on the floor during the bull riding - two bullfighters and the barrelman. The bullfighters are there to protect the riders when they jump off or get thrown off the bulls. Their primary job is to distract the bull long enough for the rider to get up and get to safety the barrelman is there to entertain the crowd, and the 8-10,000 people

who attend the Mesquite Championship Rodeo on any given weekend enjoy seeing a bull knock a man end over end. As violent as it looks, Petet actually enjoys getting hit while he's in the barrel.

      "Getting rolled around in that barrel is actually kind of fun," he said. "It's like a carnival ride you don't have to pay for."Then there are times when a particularly agitated bull gets hold of the barrel. Suspeck, son of the legendary Speck, rolled Petet all the way across the arena and slammed the barrel into the wall on the opposite side from the bucking chutes. The barrel was moving with such force that Petet's head snapped forward into his knee, leaving him with a black eye and a headache.

      The older bulls generally don't cause as many problems as the young bulls. The old ones know to head for the gate as soon as they get rid of their rider. The young ones like to run around and hit whatever they see. In spite of the obvious potential dangers of the job, Petet is not afraid of the bulls. He works full time at the Mesquite Rodeo Ranch tending to them and the bucking horses. Being around the bulls has allowed him to get to know each bull's personality, which helps him during the rodeo. "The best barrelmen are old bullfighters," said Petet. "I know the bulls. If a cowboy gets knocked out I can position the barrel so he doesn't hit the cowboy. Suspeck will hit the barrel and run over the rider. Tae Bo won't hit it. He'll go around."

Along with the cowboys' safety, Petet also has to worry about his own safety and that of the bulls. The barrel is padded inside and outside so the bulls don't hurt their heads running into it. Inside the barrel Petet hooks his arm through a loop and holds on to keep from falling out when the barrel goes end over end.

      "The first thing I do when the bull is coming is position the barrel so he hits the front of the barrel instead of the back," said Petet. "That's like getting hit in the head. That's where I count on the bullfighters to tell me where the bull is."

      The bullfighters tell Petet exactly how far away the bull is so he knows when to brace for the impact. It takes him less than a second to drop into his crouch and secure himself for the hit. His job has earned Petet endorsement deals with Dr Pepper, Dairy Queen and, appropriately enough, BC Headache Powder.

      The bulls are only a small part of the job. The most important thing Petet has to do is entertain the audience between rides. Gay has each rodeo performance scheduled so that they start at precisely 8 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. and so that there is always something to entertain his customers. Petet fills in the gaps between rides with different comedy routines.

Sometimes after a close brush with a bull he will jump over the wall into the crowd as if he is scared and run to the top of the bleachers and find a pretty lady to sit near for a minute. "It's not funny to jump in the first person's lap," he explained. "I run up to the top because that gets a guy who bought a cheap ticket involved." Some other routines, without giving away the gags, involve a phony chicken act and Petet being tied to a calf with a bungee cord. It's important that Petet is funny and entertaining because, according a survey conducted by the National Finals Rodeo, 88 percent of people go to the rodeo because they want to see a clown.

      In order to maintain the level of physical fitness necessary to do what he does, Petet trains in martial arts three to four times per week. It provides the flexibility and mental toughness he needs. He also water skis and wakeboards, which he swears is a hard workout and not just a leisurely afternoon on the lake.

      Petet is closing in on 40 years of age. Most bullfighters have retired by the time they get to be that age, but Petet has no interest in stopping. he enjoys his work too much. "I'll do it, as long as it's fun," he said. "When it stops being fun I'll quit. I don't ever see it not being fun. I love entertaining people."