August 30, 2023 Issue, Page 17 of 28

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Rodeo Clown Touts Clean Family Entertainment By Sheryl Ponce forth. He said he is not a scripted He started as a bullfighter at the their bodies between the bull and person and goes with the flow of age of 13 and found that he loved the cowboy when he comes off the Rodeo clown, Dusty Myers, will the cowboys and the audience. helping the client on both sides of bull. They distract the bull while the be appearing at Elk City’s Rodeo of “like to play with the crowd, and the business. Then, he had a knee cowboy runs for protection. Myers Champions Friday, Saturday, and I pick on the contestants. If they injury. He was out for a little while may jump into the barrel to help, Sunday evenings over Labor Day mess up or do something funny, I when a friend called him to clown. but he is really there to entertain kind of pick at them about it. Ev- After that first rodeo, he was called the crowd. weekend. This is his first time in Elk City, and he said he is excited erybody says that the truth is fun- for more shows, and a year later he “The best part of clowning for ny,” Myers laughed. was clowning fulltime. me is that I get paid to entertain, to be here. He believes his sole job but I also get paid to watch rodeos. is to give the audience good clean Dusty’s father, Cody Myers, was “Actually, my first one was in also a rodeo clown. He grew up in Woodstock, Illinois. It was the very I get to watch the best contestants family entertainment based on old in the world compete for all the the business, and as a small child, first place and the very first client. time comedians like Milton Berle he would go to the rodeos, Myers I loved it. I was very, very green in titles and prize money. I get to see and Red Skelton. was influenced by Lecile Harris, some young people start out in ro- those first years, I was really try- “{'m a huge old-school comedian. who he watched throughout his deo, and I get to see them mature. ing to learn the business. It's not Tove the skill about those comedi- youth. something that that you can go to That is exciting to me because I can ans. They were funny because they “When I was a kid, I knew I school for. You have to learn it by watch them find themselves. It is didn't have to be dirty. They were wanted to do that for a living. It going out there and being in front really neat to see how they progress comedians that make you laugh was somethingI saw, and I was like, of crowds. I've always enjoyed it,” as they get older,” Myers said. without doing any kind of dirty hu- “Well, that's what I'm going to do” Myers continued. He also said that the hardest mor. I want people to have a good My mom would dress me up asa ro- Myers is different from the bull- part of clowning is being on the deo clown when I could barely walk. time,” Myers explained. fighters because his job is to en- road so much. He has been living Myers plays off the audience and It is something I've always wanted tertain, and the bullfighters’ job is announcers, bantering back and to do my whole life,” Myers said. to protect the cowboys. They put See Clown page 10. ¢ fur at the RP Have Fun oo y And Be Safe At The Rodeo! From residential yards to large commercial properties, RedMax walk mowers are ready d to take on cutting jobs of any size. Auto Service Done Right Mack Pruitt/Owner “Quality You Can Trust” = 580.225.0014 RENTALS & SALES, Inc 106 N. Main St. Elk City 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM M-F 580-303-4744 1605 W. 3rd St, 1S Main St, Elk City 580-243-2020 Marty Ashpaugh - Owner www.doctorlisawalker.com 915 N. VanBuren, Elk City, OK 73644, Elk City, OK 580-225-1400