Bullfighter isn’t clowning around in the Sisters Rodeo arena

Bullfighters are truly the unsung heroes of the rodeo, constantly saving the lives of the cowboys in the shadows of raging 2,000-pound bulls.

Rowdy Barry, of Kennewick, Washington, is one of the nation’s top bullfighters. He prides himself in being a serious athlete, trained and honed to perform a vital service that has nothing to do with clowning around.

Many folks still confuse rodeo clowns with bullfighters.

“To tell you the truth, often times it’s hard to tell us apart,” said Barry. “We all used to dress alike at rodeos with face make up and baggy pants, even though our jobs were and are infinitely different.”

But the 20-year veteran changed all that one day by taking off his silly pants and make up and donning the future look of the serious bullfighter.

He wears a crisp white Wrangler shirt, athletic shorts, knee-length socks with knee wraps and cleats.

“I want people to see that bullfighters are trained to perform the serious and difficult job of protecting the contestants, not entertaining the crowd,” says Barry. Barry joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 1996, and since has become recognized as one of the best in the business. Barry has twice been Wrangler Bullfighting champion in the Dodge National Finals Rodeo and has competed in the NFR (National Finals Rodeo).

He travels all over the country alongside the bullriders acting as their guardian angel.

Barry grew up on ranches in Wyoming, Washington and Oregon, so he is no stranger to the rough work and hard knocks of a rancher. When asked why he has chosen such a dangerous living he said, “since I couldn’t ride ’em, I figured I’d better fight ’em.”

Barry says the key to successful bullfighting is perception.

“Being able to ‘read’ the bull’s intentions, and anticipate his movements a step ahead could be the difference between saving a cowboy from getting killed or seriously hurt, or not,” he said. “You have to think like the bull and be able to perceive his mood almost before he comes out of the chutes.”

When asked why he chooses to work at the Sisters Rodeo, Barry says, “It has always been a favorite rodeo of mine. The community is great, the crowds are lively, and it is beautiful here!”

Besides that, Barry met his wife Laura Lee, at the 1993 Sisters Rodeo. They got married and started a family together and now tour the country with their two little buckaroos in tow.

Since 1996 Laura Lee has been the official Wrangler representative. She throws Wrangler T-shirts from horseback during rodeo intermission and promotes the clothing while on tour.

“Being a Wrangler representative has given us the opportunity to stay close as a family while on the Rodeo tours,” said Laura Lee Barry. “Plus it’s a lot of fun.”