All fun and no bull for rodeo clown

Rodeo clown Matt “Big Tex” Tumlin will make his Ohio debut Saturday.

By John Benson

Normally when it comes to attending a rodeo and walking away saying you witnessed something you’ve never seen before, it involves a bull getting up in the stands or a horrific wipeout that requires a stretcher.

Thankfully, nothing tragic — but definitely memorable — is in store when Professional Bull Riders’ “Battle of the Bulls” comes to Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena Saturday. That’s when Matt “Big Tex” Tumlin, who is a little person working as a rodeo clown, will make his Ohio debut.

So how exactly did the 24-year-old Texas native, who is pursuing a career as a pediatric nurse, get involved as a rodeo clown entertaining audiences and running for his life away from bucking bulls?

“A good friend of mine got me the job,” said Tumlin, calling from somewhere in Tennessee. “I’m in college and do all of my college courses on the road online. So it’s been good to work around that as well. This is just a fun adventurous thing to do, and I’ve just enjoyed it. So far, so good.”

Adventure seeking aside, aren’t there safer exploits that could have been explored over, say, putting life and limb at risk dressing up as a clown and working in a rodeo?

“I’ve never been skydiving, but I want to,” Tumlin said. “When I walk into the arena, it’s something new. The fans are just crazy. They just get you pumped up for everyone. Not only just the bullriders, but everyone. It just gets you pumped up, and you’re able to get out there and have a great time. Doing something for someone else is always awesome.”

He added, “And I’ve always wanted to try something different. This is just something where most people don’t get the opportunity to travel the world and do these things every day and step into the arena with thousands of people and get to dress up as a clown. So that’s pretty fun. So I picked a job that lets me love every minute of it.”

Tumlin isn’t shy about the notion that by taking part in the rodeo he’s actually breaking ground for short people.

“I hope so, I really do” Tumlin said. “I hope when other little people see it they can say, ‘Wow, you put your heart into stuff and you can always do something.’ I always tell myself, ‘Never say can’t before you try.’ That’s why I did it. I never said I couldn’t do it. And I tried and I’m doing it. And it’s just awesome. People can do anything if they put their heart to it.

“There are things I can’t do, but I’ll always try it before I say I can’t, as long as it’s safe. And I believe this is safe. I have great people watching out for me. I feel like I hope that other little people do see this and take it to heart and say, ‘I’m going to go out and do whatever I want to do.’ So just go for it. And I’m having fun. It’s awesome.”

As far as having a trying-anything-once attitude, has Tumlin ever considered riding a bull? You know, just for the experience?

“Oh no, I’ve never ridden a bull and I don’t think I want to,” Tumlin said.

But what about “Never say can’t before you try?”

“Well,” Tumlin laughed, “to me it’s not safe.”