Mesquite Rodeo Program
By John Tranchina
At first thought, you wouldn't think comedy would be much of a concern to someone who is an integral part of a rodeo presentation. Bull riding competition is about the riders staying on the bulls and avoiding them if they get bucked off. So where does comedy come in?
The rodeo clown, that's where. While the primary duty of a barrelman or bullfighter is to protect the cowboys thrown off the bulls, they are also very much a part of the entertainment package Whether it is distracting the bulls from the fallen riders or telling jokes in between contestants, the rodeo clowns are a prime attraction at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo. Plus, you can't miss them in their off- beat clothing, wearing ripped up Jeans on suspenders and colorful shirts.
Kenny Petet is now in his third year as the barrelman at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo, following six as a bullfighter. He has developed into quite the comedian, amplifying his already considerable skills safe guarding bull riders.
"You've got to be a standup comedian." he says, recounting the elements of a good barrelman. "You've got to be an improv comedian because you've got to react to and play jokes off what's happening' You 've got to be slapstick, falling in and out of the barrel There will be nights where every Joke isn't working, but all I've got to do is fall off the barrel and everyone laughs. And, I really have to pay attention to which bulls (are coming out) because I know most of them. If a bull isn't going to hit the barrel, and I know he's not going to hit the barrel, I'm not going to be in the barrel, I'm going to be outside it, doing something funny "But being a barreiman is no laughing matter. When a bullrider is bucked off, it is the responsibility of the two bullfighters and the barreiman to make sure he makes it to safety That often means getting in the bull's way to give the cowboy time to escape danger. Doing that sometimes puts them in harm's way. What causes an otherwise sane and wise man to risk his health every night doing such a thing? "Adrenaline. It's all about adrenalin?," Petet says without hesitation, Every bull, there's the chance of getting hurt, so there's that adrenaline But there's also the adrenaline of a barrelman telling Jokes Its like, 'I hope the jokes work tonight.' Because you can tell one or two and get a feel for what they're going to laugh at and what they 're not. The whole time, paying attention to the bulls or the rest of what you need to."
As the barrelman, Petet is like the lead bullfighter, so his promotion a few years ago was a natural one for him. But he had very large shoes to fill. Frank Mcllvain, Sr, or "Daddy Frank" as he was known, worked the barrel for over 40 years before retiring after the 2002 season. At that point, Mesquite Championship Rodeo producer (and founder) Neal Gay asked Petet to take over."(Daddy Frank) was getting close to retirement age, he'd been here for a lonq time, and Kenny took his place," said Gay. "He's done a really, really good Job. We're really pleased with him. People like him and he works hard."
Petet has improved his comedy, developing to the point that he convinced Gay to let him have his own microphone to better enable him to entertain the crowd. He also works well interacting with announcer Cheyenne Pipkin,"Until the last three months (of last season), they hadn't ever miked the barrelman before," Petet noted. "Neal was a little nervous about that. I lobbied for it, and it's worked good with the announcer we have, Cheyenne. He's really been good. Comedy, it's not easy. You can tell the funniest joke in the world, and if the timing is wrong, it falls flat."
But Petet is more than just a comedian, he's a good bullfighter with a lot of experience to draw on and he takes his job seriously. "I know the bulls. I know which ones hit the barrel and which ones don't," he noted. "I've fought bulls enough; I know where the bullfighters are going to want the barrel and when they're going to want the barrel."
"(The barrel) is like a little island for a bull rider, but it's also an island for us," said Lance Mcllvain, "Daddy Frank's" son. "Whenever we're out there in no-man's land and the bull has got us cut off, we can get out there to that barrel. And it's fun to work the barrel and it's good for the crowd. It's good entertainment." For someone who's been in harm's way so often, Petet has been lucky to rarely be injured on the job. "God's really taken care of me. My whole bullfighting career, there's only been one real injury. We had a bull named Tahiti Treat' - he'd throw you off and then go to the wall, because he knew you couldn't get around him at the wall. One night, he threw me in the crowd four times, I mean in people's laps. The fourth time he hooked me, as I went over, bam, and my kneecaps hit the top of
that rail. My knees swelled up like grapefruits, and I missed a month at Mesquite. Those are the only performances I've ever missed."
Petet continues to add skill and humor every night in his role as the barrelman at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo. Even if he is dressed funny. "I always say I'm not a cowboy, I'm an entertainer with a hat," Petet laughs. " I wear spurs on my tennis shoes. I don't care, as long as (people) laugh, and as long as they leave here thinking, 'Man, that was cool, I want to go back.'"