Years of a clown

Veteran rodeo entertainers aim to bring smiles during weekend events

GRANT COUNTY — The rodeo can be serious business, but not so much for "Crash" Cooper" and Troy Lerwill.

The two men will bring oversized hats and giant clown pants to an arena typically reserved for the rough and tumble action of rodeo. The two men are looking to entertain, and bring a few smiles to an arena full of cheering fans as rodeo clowns and barrel men.

"I love to encourage people to laugh and see people laugh," Cooper said, "so it's pretty rewarding."

Cooper takes his physical humor to the arena, donning stilts and having conversations with the announcer's booth. His nickname stuck with him because of his approach to things.

"A lot of stuff I do has to do with athleticism," Cooper said, "I use a lot of physical sort of humor."

Cooper got started in rodeo as a bullfighter, getting into the sport through his brothers who were also in the rodeo. There weren't many clowns in the arenas between events, so Cooper started clowning around during downtimes. Cooper has been working in the arena for much of the last 12 years. He takes the winters off to work as an artist; Cooper produces graphite and watercolor western art that appears on humorous western greeting cards.

Lerwill works year-round, heading to events throughout the United States. Known as "The Wild Child" for part of his act, Lerwill has a specialty in motorcycles. He has been performing his specialty motorcycle act for the last five years and can be seen at the Moses Lake Roundup Rodeo tonight and Saturday night jumping a pickup truck and trailer with his motorcycle.

"We'll just be out there together screwing around and just messing with the crowd and stuff," Lerwill said.

It there's a delay in the rodeo action, either Cooper or Lerwill will crack a joke and try to stay current with the crowd. Cooper admits he doesn't have a set script when he enters the arena, he just aims to entertain.

"I never know when I get in there really," Cooper said, "I don't have much stuff scripted."

The two will be decked out in their clown garb as well, and Lerwill says he's just out there entertaining and trying to act goofy. And with two clowns, both men hope it will be twice as entertaining. The two men hadn't worked together on a show until this week, and Cooper has never worked with another clown; but both men are looking forward to the challenge.

Lerwill said the opportunity will be a fun one. He said neither performer really lets go when two performers are under the spotlight, and the chance just gives each rodeo clown and barrel man the opportunity to entertain. The rodeo, Lerwill said, is just a chance for everyone to forget about life and enjoy a good experience for a few hours.

"It's really a comical thing," Lerwill said, "the whole act."

For more information on Cooper and Lerwill go to www.crashcooper.com and www.thewildchild.net.