John Harrison
returns to entertain
at Farm-City
I
t might seem like he’s clown-
ing around, but John Harrison
is a distinguished performer
in the art of rodeo entertainment.
He’s a three-time recipient of
the Comedy Act of the Year award
by the Professional Rodeo Cow-
boys Association, and has also
been selected by his peers three
times to be the barrelman at the
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
He’s booked year-round at rodeos
all across the country, and will find
himself performing at the Farm-
City Pro Rodeo this year.
But even as venues, audienc-
es and comedy routines change
through the years, family roots
continue to fuel Harrison’s passion
for rodeo.
His grandfather was the late
Freckles Brown, the 1962 world
champion bull rider who managed
to ride the “unrideable” bull Torna-
o do. It was because of him that Har-
rison had his early exposure to the
rodeo lifestyle.
“It was such an exciting way of
living,” Harrison said. “Everything
is fast-paced and constantly mov-
ing. It immediately drew me in.”
Harrison started out as a trick
rider when he was just 6 years old.
He became a certified member of
the PRCA in 1999. Now 39 years
old, Harrison has been working
consistently as a rodeo clown.
His father, a loan officer, was
skeptical at the prospect of his son’s
career path at first, and pushed him
to pursue college, wanting Harri-
son to find a career path that would
be financially stable. But after see-
ing him perform and the reactions
that he draws from audiences, he
was proud soon enough.
“He’s as proud as a father can
be when seeing his son performing
in drag in front of a crowd,” Har-
rison said.
Keeping the rodeo tradition in
his family alive, he takes his fami-
ly, including his wife Carla, daugh-
ters Addison, 10, Charlee, 2, and
son Cazwell, 8, on the road with
him.
It’s a busy way of life, with
Harrison booked for several per-
formances a month, every month,
all across the country. But they all
love it.
“I could see my son becoming
a rodeo clown himself,” he said.
“But I wouldn’t be surprised if
the rest of them wanted to stay put
once they eventually pursue their
own careers.”
Harrison says that for his kids,
traveling the country with their
dad is like a bonus summer vaca-
tion. For Harrison, however, it’s
anything but. His job is extremely
physical, demanding that he stays
in peak physical condition. He
wakes up early every morning and
exercises, churning out at least 2.5
hours of cardio daily.
It’s a career that’s constantly
physically demanding, and injuries
are common.
“It comes with the job,” he
said. “If you’re a football player
and you get injured, you get to sit
on the sidelines and still get a pay-
check. When a rodeo clown gets
sidelined, you have to keep going
or else you go home. I have to keep
Pendleton is one of the 20 “must visit” towns in the US!
picking myself back up again and
again. I’m always on the move.”
And despite having been in the
profession for so many years, Har-
rison says performing in front of
an audience never gets old. The
adrenaline rush he gets from every
city and every crowd keeps things
fresh and alive every night.
“You have to be able to improv
and work off-the-cuff; you never
know what the crowd is going to
give you,” he said. “Some routines
work, and those are what stay in
the act for years to come. Others
flop and you have to keep adapt-
ing. Timing is everything — if it
doesn’t work, you just have to pick
yourself up, laugh it off, and keep
pushing forward.”
This year will mark Harrison’s
second performance at Hermis-
ton’s Farm-City Pro Rodeo, and
he’s excited to return.
“They always know how to put
on a great, authentic show. There’s
never any smoke-and-mirrors in-
volved,” he said. “Everyone is al-
ways hospitable, and the crowds
are high-energy. I can’t wait to
come back.”
(Smithsonian Magazine 2018)
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