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A rodeo clown or bull fighter is a rodeo performer who works on bull riding contests. His job is to protect the rider from the bull after he dismounts or is bucked off, by distracting the bull and providing alternative targets for the bull to chase.
Rodeo clowns enter the ring on foot, before the bull is let loose, wearing bright loose fitting clothes. Their job is particularly important when the rider has been injured. The rodeo clown may interpose himself between the bull and the rider, run off at an angle, throw a hat, shout, etc., while the rider seeks safety. Injuries are common.
The rodeo clown has one of the most dangerous jobs in all of show business. He must protect other performers from charging bulls while also entertaining the audience. He is, in essence, a comedy stuntman who must perform live improvisation with half-wild animals.
The rodeo clown is sometimes called matador, because his bright clothes and bull-taunting actions are superficially similar to those of the main performer (matador) of Spanish bullfighting. However, this word (which means "killer" in Spanish) is a misnomer, since rodeo clowns do not actually kill the bull.
See also: Rodeo; Clown; Straw man; Bull riding, Slim Pickens
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