View source for Flint Rasmussen

{{Short description|American rodeo clown}}

[[File:Flint Rasmussen.jpg|thumb|Rasmussen in 2007]]
'''Flint Rasmussen''' (born January 25, 1968) is an American former professional [[rodeo clown|rodeo barrelman]]. He is perhaps the most famous barrelman in the history of [[bull riding]].<ref>Garner, Joe (2001) "Merry Grand Marshall Pro Rodeo's Top Clown will Rule Stock Show Parade", ''[[Rocky Mountain News]]'', January 7, 2001</ref><ref name=rasmussen>{{cite web|title=Will Rasmussen - Professional Rodeo Announcer|publisher=Montana TV1|url=http://montanatv1.com/ch/rodeo/will/bio.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216031025/http://montanatv1.com/ch/rodeo/will/bio.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 16, 2019|access-date=August 7, 2011}}</ref><ref name=rasmussen2>{{cite news|title=Rodeo Clown Flint Rasmussen Talks About His Act, His Success, and What It's Like Working Next to a Raging Bull|last=MacKinnon|first=Sally|newspaper=The Entertainer (Calgary)|url=http://where.ca/calgary/article_feature.cfm?listing_id=171|access-date=August 7, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202162532/http://where.ca/calgary/article_feature.cfm?listing_id=171|archive-date=December 2, 2010}}</ref>

A former high school math and history teacher, Rasmussen signed a contract with the [[Professional Bull Riders]] and provided entertainment at their Premier Series events. Also long associated with the [[Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association]], he earned the title of ''PRCA Clown of the Year'' for eight consecutive years and won the ''[[Coors Brewing Company|Coors]] Man in the Can'' honor seven times.<ref name=rasmussen/><ref name=rasmussen2/>

==Early life==
On January 25, 1968, Stan and Tootsie Rasmussen had their youngest child, Flint, in [[Havre, Montana]].<ref name=Hall>{{cite web|title=Pendleton Roundup Hall of Fame|url=https://rounduphalloffame.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/hof-inductess-1969-present.pdf|publisher=Pendleton and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame|access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref> Flint grew up in [[Choteau, Montana]], where he started his career in sports.<ref name=Hall /><ref name=East>{{cite web|title=Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame: Flint Rasmussen|url=http://www.eastoregonian.com/sports/rodeo_round_up/round_up_magazine/round-up-and-happy-canyon-hall-of-fame-flint-rasmussen/article_9bdf7d74-d8cd-11e0-b190-001cc4c03286.html|publisher=East Oregonian|access-date=30 March 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122035700/http://www.eastoregonian.com/sports/rodeo_round_up/round_up_magazine/round-up-and-happy-canyon-hall-of-fame-flint-rasmussen/article_9bdf7d74-d8cd-11e0-b190-001cc4c03286.html|archive-date=2013-01-22|url-status=dead}}</ref>   He was an All-State football player and track star for Choteau High School.<ref name=Hall /><ref name=East /> 

After high school, Rasmussen attended college at the [[University of Montana Western]] where he completed a double major in [[history]] and [[math]] as an honor student. As the public radio sports announcer for the UMW Bulldogs, he had his voice heard for the first time by an audience.<ref name=Hall /> To help with the expenses of college, Rasmussen worked as a barrel clown in western Montana.<ref name=Hall /> He made his first appearance as a rodeo clown in [[Superior, Montana]], at the age of 19.<ref name=Hall /> Rasmussen had his first thoughts about being a rodeo clown when he told his father and brother that he could do better than the rodeo clowns at the time.<ref name=Hall /> "I just thought it needed a new energy, a young guy who could relate and get young people to get back to rodeo," he said.<ref name=East /> 

After he completed college, Rasmussen returned to the town he was born in, Havre, and taught at [[Havre High School]] in addition to coaching football and track.<ref name=East /> While teaching at Havre High School, he was also the public address announcer at Northern Montana College (now [[MSU - Northern]]) home Lights and Skylights Basketball games. After two years of teaching and coaching, he grew restless and started his career as a barrelman.<ref name=East />

==Family==
Flint Rasmussen comes from a rodeo family with three other siblings.  He has two brothers, Will and Pete, and a sister, Linda White.<ref name="Hall" /> Flint's parents are Stan and Tootsie Rasmussen.<ref name="Hall" /> Stan Rasmussen, Flint's father, was a rodeo announcer and his brother, Will, followed in his father's footsteps as a rodeo announcer.<ref name="Hall" /> Will still is a top PRCA rodeo announcer.<ref name="Hall" /> Flint met ex-wife, Katie Grasky, who was a [[barrel racer]], while he was touring.<ref name="quintana">{{cite web|last=Quintana|first=Chris|title=Teacher Quits to be Entertainer|url=http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2012/03/teacher_quits_to_be_entertainer|publisher=New Mexico Daily Lobo|access-date=March 27, 2012}}</ref> Flint has two daughters, Shelby and Paige, who also barrel race.<ref name="Hall" /><ref name="quintana" />

==Achievements==
"I think it's hard to come into this sport cold at 25 and try to learn it,"  Rasmussen said.<ref name="quintana" />  But that did not stop him. He did his first [[National Finals Rodeo]] (NFR) in 1998.<ref name="Hall" /> When he signed with the [[Professional Bull Riders]] (PBR) in 2005, the contract was exclusive and he now only worked for the PBR. Before signing with the PBR, he was the [[Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association]] (PRCA) Clown of the Year for eight consecutive years (1998-2005).<ref name="Hall" /> Along with those honors, he was the Coors Man in the Can (the barrelman inside the barrel in the arena during the bull riding at the NFR) seven times (1998-1999, 2001-2005),<ref name="Hall" /> He was the barrelman/arena entertainer for the PBR World Finals 26 times (1997-1998, 2000-2023). 

==Health episode==
On March 11, 2009, Rasmussen, at the age of 41, suffered a heart attack in his home in [[Choteau, Montana]].<ref name="kusek">{{cite web|last=Kusek|first=Joe|title=PBR Barrelman Flint Rasmussen Quickly Returns From Heart Attack|date=April 18, 2009 |url=http://billingsgazette.com/sports/article_058aa9ca-3d34-5481-bd4f-52e8a579f259.html|publisher=Billings Gazette|access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref>   After a couple of procedures, he was back in the arena in a short time.<ref name=vreeland />  "The No. 1 thing that surprised me was the crowd reaction... and I've missed these people," <ref name=kusek /><ref name="vreeland">{{cite web|last=Vreeland|first=Tara|title=PBR's Flint Rasmussen Ready for Tulsa|url=http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=10746195|publisher=The News On 6|access-date=27 March 2012}}</ref>  Rasmussen said on returning to the arena after his heart attack.  He got back to the arena with only a few differences: he had to wear a heart rate monitor and had to take a few breaks when his heart rate exceeded 140 bpm.<ref name=kusek /><ref name=vreeland />

==2020s==
Rasmussen began to transition away from being an arena entertainer to become a color commentator for PBR during the inaugural PBR Team Series season in 2022; serving as a second sideline reporter with [[Allen Bestwick]] at some events. However, at other Team Series events, he returned to his role as arena entertainer.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://pbr.com/news/2022/08/makeup-be-gone-a-new-flint-rasmussen-to-emerge-in-kansas-city/ | title=Makeup be Gone: A new Flint Rasmussen to emerge in Kansas City | date=August 4, 2022 }}</ref>

In February 2023, Rasmussen announced that he was retiring as PBR arena entertainer at the end of the 2023 PBR World Finals in May and becoming a full-time commentator beginning at [[Cheyenne Frontier Days]], the opening event of the PBR Team Series during the second half of the calendar year.<ref>{{cite web|title=Flint Rasmussen retiring as arena entertainer after 2023 PBR World Finals|url=https://pbr.com/news/2023/02/pbr-official-entertainer-flint-rasmussen-to-leave-the-dirt-at-end-of-2023-unleash-the-beast-season-joining-pbrs-television-broadcast|website=Professional Bull Riders|access-date=February 2, 2023}}</ref> He officially retired after working the 2023 PBR World Finals in May.<ref>{{cite web|title=Flint Rasmussen officially retires as PBR arena entertainer|url=https://pbr.com/news/2023/05/flint-rasmussen-honored-showered-with-love-during-last-world-finals-dance|website=Professional Bull Riders|access-date=May 22, 2023}}</ref> 

Rasmussen began his full-time career as a sideline reporter for the PBR Team Series in July of that year. Allen Bestwick did not return as a sideline reporter for the PBR Team Series, and Rasmussen's sideline reporting partner was now five-time PRCA World Champion [[steer wrestling|steer wrestler]] Luke Branquinho, who himself had retired as a rodeo contestant in 2021.

In 2024, Rasmussen's role in the PBR Team Series was changed, as he went from a sideline reporter during the action to a post-show reporter. His new partner was fellow longtime PBR personality Matt West. Since December of that year, Rasmussen has been a host of ''PBR Now'', a weekly web show which recaps the previous weekend's PBR [[Unleash the Beast Series]] (UTB) event and previews the upcoming event. It streams live every Thursday afternoon on the PBR's [[YouTube]] channel. His co-hosts are Matt West and PBR sideline reporter Kate Harrison. 

Rasmussen now resides in [[Fort Worth, Texas]].<ref name=Legends/>

==Honors==
In 2010, Rasmussen made a special appearance as the Pendleton High School graduation speaker.<ref name="Hall" /> 

In 2011, he was inducted into the [[Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Flint Rasmussen|url=https://rounduphalloffame.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/hof-inductess-1969-present.pdf|website=Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame|publisher=pendletonhalloffame.com|access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> 

In 2014, he was inducted into the [[St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2014 Inductees |url=http://d2w7gersd1ix5b.cloudfront.net/files.ashx?t=fg&f=hall_of_fame_2014.pdf&rid=StPaulRodeo |website=St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame |access-date=March 25, 2020}}</ref> 

In 2019, he was inducted into the [[Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Inductees |url=https://ellensburgrodeohalloffame.org/inductees/ |website=Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame |access-date=March 25, 2020}}</ref> 

In 2024, he was inducted into the [[National Rodeo Hall of Fame]].<ref name=Legends>{{cite web|title=Flint Rasmussen|url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/collections/awards/rodeo-hall-of-fame/inductees/45577/|website=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum|access-date=November 11, 2024}}</ref> 

In 2025, he was inducted into the [[Bull Riding Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Bull Riding Hall of Fame inductees|url=https://thebullridinghof.com/pages/inductee-list|website=Bull Riding Hall of Fame|access-date=May 19, 2025}}</ref>

==External links==
[https://www.flintrasmussen.com/ Official website]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rasmussen, Flint}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Rodeo clowns]]
[[Category:People from Choteau, Montana]]
[[Category:People from Havre, Montana]]
[[Category:University of Montana alumni]]
[[Category:Schoolteachers from Montana]]