Rudy Burns, The Crazy Cajun

For as long as he can recall, Rudy Burns had been known for two things – being a class clown in his younger years and always having a good joke at his disposal. However, what he wanted to be known for was an eight-second ride on rodeo’s biggest stage. So when a rodeo promoter approached Burns some 45-odd years ago and asked if he wanted in on the next weekend’s rodeo, the funnyman bull rider jumped at the opportunity for another eight seconds of work. The promoter, however, had another idea and it didn’t involve Burns hopping on a bull’s back.  He needed a clown.  After some hesitation, Burns arrived the next weekend decked out in makeup and overalls with every intention of protecting the bull riders – not competing against them. It was in that moment, at that small-town rodeo, that Burns began a four-and-a-half decade career as a bullfighter, barrel man and rodeo clown. He has been banged up, bruised and beaten, and has had his fair share of injuries in his four-decade career. Throughout the year, Burns steps into rodeo arenas around the country wearing his signature pink cowboy hat, over a rainbow-colored wig and pair of red suspenders that hold up pants much too large for him. “When I hear people say how much fun they had, that’s just as good as a paycheck,” Burns said.
Entertaining the crowd is Burns’ specialty, and he has been awarded the prestigious honor of PRCA’s Barrel Man of the Year in 1995 and 2000. He was also runner-up in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2010. Burns was also asked to work all events at the 1996 National Finals Rodeo and has been voted five-separate times to man the barrel during the PBR World Championships at the annual NFR.

Outside of staring down hundreds of 2,000-pound bulls, Burns and his wife, Betty Jane, have successfully raised two children and are now proud grandparents.