1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey listeners. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: The following is a bite sized version of an episode 3 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: of On the Job, a podcast from Express Employment Professionals 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: that shares the experiences of everyday Americans finding their life's work. 5 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 1: These clips can be humorous and heartwarming, sometimes both at 6 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: the same time, and they're always insightful. 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 2: Enjoy. I have these long wringler baggy pants that are 8 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,279 Speaker 2: about five times to be some old red suspenders. I've 9 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 2: got different colored socks and Converse tennis shoes with wide 10 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: around My eyes and my mouth and the rest of 11 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 2: my face is painted red kind of. It's the old 12 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 2: school traditional look. 13 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 3: Welcome back to On the Job. I'm AVERYE. Thompson, and 14 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 3: this week we're making a call over to Petrolia, Texas, 15 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 3: a little town up there on the banks of the 16 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 3: Red River. Speak with Brandon Dunn, who has, at least, 17 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 3: in my opinion, one of the more fascinating jobs on 18 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 3: the planet. 19 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 2: I'm Brandon Dunn. I'm a professional rodeo clown in barrel Man. 20 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 3: That's right, Partners. This year episode, we're talking with a 21 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:20,279 Speaker 3: rodeo clown. Yeha. Now, I bet that there are probably 22 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 3: a few of you out there going what in blabber 23 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 3: in tarnation as a rodeo clown or heck, maybe you're 24 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 3: surprised to hear that rodeos still exist, to which I'm 25 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 3: here to tell you all that rodeos are alive and bucking. 26 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:37,199 Speaker 2: It is a huge business, and I think the popularity 27 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 2: of rodeo is growing more so now than it has 28 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 2: ever before it So I don't think rodeo is going 29 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 2: anywhere anytime soon. 30 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 3: And that's not a biased opinion. There there are more 31 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 3: than six hundred rodeos put on across the USA and 32 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 3: countless more amateur events, and according to some sources, bull 33 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 3: riding is now America's fastest growing sport, which means that 34 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 3: people like Brandon Dunn can make a full time career 35 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 3: as a rodeo clown, which if that doesn't make you 36 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 3: proud to be an American, well, I don't know what will. 37 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,239 Speaker 3: Most rodeo clowns also have a job to do during 38 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 3: the actual bull and bronco riding events, and Brandon is 39 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 3: certainly no exception. Brandon will climb into a barrel which 40 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 3: has holes in the top and bottom for his head 41 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 3: and feet to protrude from and then he'll get in 42 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 3: the ring and wait for the bull and his rider 43 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 3: to come shooting out of the gates. 44 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 2: A lot of them times in bulls of buck. Three 45 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 2: or four or five steps out of the buck and 46 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 2: shoot the bull rider bucks off. It's too far to 47 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 2: get to the fence for them to be safe, and 48 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 2: so I can bring that barrel in there to him 49 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 2: and distract the bull, and the bull hit me in 50 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 2: the barrel instead of the bull rider in the bull 51 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 2: riding instance. 52 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 3: Brandon Dunn traveled the country as a rodeo clown and 53 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 3: bullfighter for seventeen years, entertaining audiences with his comedy act 54 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 3: and then stepping in the ring with some of the 55 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 3: world's fiercest bulls. But then, in April of two thousand 56 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 3: and three, Brandon and his family were involved in a 57 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 3: horrific car accident. The head on collision with a drunk 58 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 3: driver killed Brandon's seven year old daughter and left Brandon crippled. 59 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 2: There was four of us in that vehicle, and we 60 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 2: were all in separate hospitals. Didn't get to see each other. 61 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 2: I didn't get to go to my daughter's funeral. I mean, 62 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 2: it busted me up from head to toe. He took 63 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 2: my rodeo career, and to be truthful, probably the first 64 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 2: six years of it, I just pouted. I was in 65 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 2: a deep depression. You know, my whole life had been 66 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 2: completely turned upside down. 67 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 3: In this time of darkness, Brandon turned away from rodeo 68 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 3: life completely. In the absence of rodeo, Brandon hungered down 69 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 3: at home and focused his energy on the family cattle ranch. 70 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 3: But even though Brandon had turned his back on rodeo, 71 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 3: Rodeo wasn't about to let him go that easily, because 72 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 3: the passion Brandon once had for rodeo was beginning to 73 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 3: show itself in the next generation of so a few 74 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 3: years after doctors narrowly managed to put Brandon Dunn back 75 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 3: together again, he was back out in the rodeo ring. 76 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 2: God's kind of brought it all back full circle, and 77 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 2: it was because of Brindle. Here we are in life 78 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 2: is good. 79 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 3: How does it feel to have your son following in 80 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 3: your clown truth? 81 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 2: There's times out there that I couldn't be more proud. 82 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 2: But there's times that, man, I just want to stick 83 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 2: my head in the barrel and not see what's happening. 84 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 3: But of course This is a done we're talking about, 85 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 3: and Brandon's son is the next generation and a long 86 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 3: lineage of people born and bred for the rodeo ring. 87 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 2: I never dreamed, even when I was fighting bull that 88 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 2: I would be able to share the arena with my 89 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 2: son the way that I do now. And we had 90 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 2: lots of highlights, especially when he's in the bullfights and 91 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 2: I'm in the barrel. Every time we get out of it, 92 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 2: we give each other one great big hug. That's probably 93 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 2: the highlight of my whole career. 94 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 3: For on the job, I'm Avery Thompson. I'll see you 95 00:04:58,480 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 3: down that dusty trail. 96 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 4: A strong work ethic takes pride in a job well done. 97 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 4: This is the kind of person you need. Express Employment 98 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 4: professionals can help because in good times or bad, we 99 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 4: understand how critical it is to manage your business for 100 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 4: today with the right workforce. We offer hiring solutions to 101 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 4: fit changing demands. Express knows Jobs. Get to know Express. 102 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 4: Go to expresspros dot com to find a location near you.