When you think of clowns, you think of birthday parties and circuses but Denny is no ordinary clown, he’s a rodeo clown – a fun yet dangerous profession. Denny is a veteran of the Canadian rodeo scene and his quickfire wit and entertaining antics has earned him 10 Canadian Pro Rodeo Entertainer of the Year titles but it has also earned him multiple broken bones.
“You know people are a little naive about clowns. You think of a birthday party and stuff and I’m not very good at birthdays.”
Denny began his career as a rodeo clown after a thirty-year career as a firefighter so he’s no stranger to extreme situations. Enter Shiver & Shake, a massive rodeo bull that terrorised the Canadian bull-riding scene.
“Probably one of the meanest bulls we ever had in Canadian history… I would say probably 80% of our bulls are very quiet but you have that 20% you got to worry about… one night he knocked a guy out, bucked the guy off and went to the gate. The guy in the gate was too busy watching and never opened the gate. So he came back in and he got me and I did a fancy flip up in the air and I come down on a six inch pipe, landed on my ribs and I nearly lost my spleen out of it. So yeah, believe me. I know Shiver & Shake. He left a good mark on me.
Denny is a much-loved member of the rodeo community not only here in Australia but also in his home country of Canada and across the United States. Long live the rodeo clown!
