Jalapeno was on their minds, down in the clown van parked on the grassy swale behind the rodeo arena, down the gravel path from the rising sounds of bellowing Brahma bulls and the geared-up announcer's voice and the fiddle and banjo music that washed down from the Cowtown arena where the south wind ruffled the Stars and Stripes under the black sky on Rodeo Night, when the funny clowns and the bullfighting clowns getting dressed down in the van would face all the other 42 bulls and the fiercest bull, the one that moves like lightning, Jalapeno.
Cleveland announced the "Wrangler Clowns," and Skimmer Walker, who had been shaking out his leg muscles like a sprinter before a race, trotted with Hawkins and Workman and Licciardello through the arena gate and moved along the side of the chute to where the first bull waited.
Two cowboys stood by the gate, one ready to lift the latch, the other prepared to yank the gate open. Walker faced the left side of the gate, his feet spread like a base-runner preparing to steal second.
The big white gate flew open. The bull came out bucking. The rider flopped from side to side and the bullfighters held back, letting the bull make his moves until the rider dropped off.
Licciardello crouched in a heavily padded barrel, a human target should the bull decide to charge. Hawkins waited near the barrel, holding his big inner tube. A dummy with a George Bush mask stood beside the clown, propped up by a broomstick.
The fifth bull was behind the gate ready to go.
"JA-LA-PE-NO!"
The big white bull with black spots and the foot-long horns came slamming out, looking big as a pickup truck, and Skimmer Walker, his feet spread, his hands out to the side, crouched to make a move.
Jalapeno dispatched his rider before the mandatory eight seconds. Now he stood tall, his head up, looking for something to charge.
T.J. Hawkins rolled out the big inner tube, and the bull lowered his head, shot forward and launched into the tube, sending it bounding down the center of the arena. The crowd cheered.
Then the bull saw the George Bush dummy.
He tore into it, sending the rubber mask flying halfway across the sand as he turned toward the fence, sending cowboys scrambling up the fence rails, hooking one with his horn and tossing him off the fence.
http://articles.philly.com/1994-08-19/news/25842089_1_bullfighting-clowns-rodeo-arena-clown-smile
Cleveland announced the "Wrangler Clowns," and Skimmer Walker, who had been shaking out his leg muscles like a sprinter before a race, trotted with Hawkins and Workman and Licciardello through the arena gate and moved along the side of the chute to where the first bull waited.
Two cowboys stood by the gate, one ready to lift the latch, the other prepared to yank the gate open. Walker faced the left side of the gate, his feet spread like a base-runner preparing to steal second.
The big white gate flew open. The bull came out bucking. The rider flopped from side to side and the bullfighters held back, letting the bull make his moves until the rider dropped off.
Licciardello crouched in a heavily padded barrel, a human target should the bull decide to charge. Hawkins waited near the barrel, holding his big inner tube. A dummy with a George Bush mask stood beside the clown, propped up by a broomstick.
The fifth bull was behind the gate ready to go.
"JA-LA-PE-NO!"
The big white bull with black spots and the foot-long horns came slamming out, looking big as a pickup truck, and Skimmer Walker, his feet spread, his hands out to the side, crouched to make a move.
Jalapeno dispatched his rider before the mandatory eight seconds. Now he stood tall, his head up, looking for something to charge.
T.J. Hawkins rolled out the big inner tube, and the bull lowered his head, shot forward and launched into the tube, sending it bounding down the center of the arena. The crowd cheered.
Then the bull saw the George Bush dummy.
He tore into it, sending the rubber mask flying halfway across the sand as he turned toward the fence, sending cowboys scrambling up the fence rails, hooking one with his horn and tossing him off the fence.
http://articles.philly.com/1994-08-19/news/25842089_1_bullfighting-clowns-rodeo-arena-clown-smile