Kevin Midkiff - Rodeo Clown

By Kelly B. Robbins

Top Photo by James Phifer, rodeobum.com

Kevin Midkiff is a rodeo clown who dazzles the crowds every week on Friday and Saturday nights at the Fort Worth Stockyards Championship Rodeo. He preps the fans before the rodeo there at the Cowtown Coliseum, with a preshow dance to “Uptown Funk”. He works the mutton scramble, the calf scramble, and helps with the free T-shirt giveaway. Kevin loves the rodeo, and he loves being a rodeo clown. By the way, Kevin is just ten years old!

I interviewed Kevin and his dad, Jason. Of course, I asked THE question: How did Kevin get involved as a rodeo clown at such a young age? “I won a couple of tickets to the Stockyard Championship Rodeo,” Jason said. “I took Kevin with me. He was about 2-1/2 years old. He fell in love with bull riding and wanted to be a bull rider. We got him a little vest and some clothes. Well, we went back and Kevin saw the bull fighters. Now he wanted to be a bull fighter. His big sister, Kelsey, made him some baggies for his bull fighter outfit. Next, Kevin met rodeo clown Cody Cooper, and Kevin decided he wanted to be a rodeo clown.”

Kevin - age 3

“By then he was three years old,” Jason continued. “His great grandma sewed him a shirt. We got him overalls at Wal Mart and fixed him up an outfit. Kevin would run out with the bull fighters at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. He was introduced as the “smallest rodeo clown in the world!”

“I love being a rodeo clown,” Kevin revealed. “It’s very fun to do. I want to be a rodeo clown like Brinson James some day. He and Flint Rasmussen of the PBR are my favorite rodeo clowns. My dream is to do what Flint does for the PBR someday.”

Jason said that Kevin has had no formal training other than watching rodeo clowns on YouTube. “But he has gotten a lot of pointers along the way,” Jason explained. “He has a good friend, Jesse Vick, who is a bull fighter at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. Rodeo clown Robbie Hodges has helped him a lot. He also got some pointers from Matt Merritt (PBR Velocity Tour entertainer) and John Harrison. Brinson James gave Kevin some tips on how and where to move.”

Kevin works the barrel during the Mutton Busting at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

Photo by James Phifer, rodeobum.com

“I went to the Houston rodeo just as a fan,” Kevin added. “I got to sign autographs with Leon Coffee, one of the best and most famous rodeo clowns in the world!”

“I love going to Billy Bob’s Texas,” Kevin declared. “I got to be on stage and talk to the crowd at Billy Bob’s with Stoney LaRue. I also used to sell coffee mugs there with my picture on it.”

I asked Kevin about his clothes, his makeup, his sponsors, and his preparations before an event. “I don’t get nervous before a show,” Kevin shared. “I do all my own makeup, except the star on the side of my face. My dad does that. I do the same face makeup design every week. I do some stretches before each event. I try to stretch my legs. My shirts are all hand-made by my great grandma Pat Brothers. My overalls are from Wal Mart. The boots I wear everyday are Justin boots.”

Kevin Midkiff celebrates with the winner of the Mutton Busting at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

Photo by James Phifer, rodeobum.com

“Kevin really doesn’t have any sponsors,” Jason said. “He wears a Billy Bob’s Texas patch on his shirt because he gets into Billy Bob’s for free. Justin boots gave him two pairs of boots for free when they sponsored a mutton busting event he was working on. So, he wore a Justin boots patch on his shirt. And he only wears American Hats thanks to Danny Adams of The Best Hat Store in the Fort Worth Stockyards.”

“Kevin’s mom and I are excited for him, and we completely support him in this,” Jason concluded. “We would like to see how far he’ll go!”

Kevin (age 3) with bullfighter Jesse Vick.