Each move matters for Ian Mathes. He knows he’s only a few inches from danger every time he steps into the rodeo arena. But that’s his new job.
In 2008, after six years of bull riding, Mathes traded his boots for cleats and became the man who ensures rodeo riders make clean getaways — a rodeo clown.
“You get to face the bull rather than taking off running away,” Ian said. “You are in control of the situation. They tell you that you are when you ride, but you’re not.”
Ian’s calling came from his experience riding the bulls he now baits.
He used to ride for the rodeo team at Murray State University, but after a stint at a bull riding school in Oklahoma, Ian realized he was not at the level of some other collegiate riders.
“There were some boys there who were better than I was, and I knew they were going to make it longer than I was, so I said, ‘You know what, I’m going to help these guys out,’” he said.
Ian soon worked his way up to his first big event as a rodeo clown — the Murray State University college rodeo.
Some of the bulls at the rodeo were used at the professional level, and Ian knew the risks.
A few days before the rodeo, Ian was “hooked” — hit by the horns of a bull. Fortunately, his protective vest, the main protective gear he wears, absorbed most of the blow.
After the first night of the rodeo, Ian was disappointed. He moved too quickly to adequately lure the bull from the rider.
“You have to be in by the time the rider hits the ground,” he said. “Everything happens in a split second.”
Over the next few years, Ian will continue practicing for that split second.
