Rodeo Clown Shawn "Boom Boom" Thompson from Sydney, Iowa, returns to the Linn County Fair Rodeo on Aug. 9-10. (Submitted photo)
By John Teagarden, Linn County Fair Board
Rodeo Clown Shawn ‘Boom Boom’ Thompson returns to the Linn County Fair PRCA Rodeo for the third consecutive time on Friday and Saturday, Aug 9-10.
Shawn Thompson’s “day job” for 18 years was with the Sydney, Iowa, school district, teaching industrial arts and coaching at the junior high and high school level.
His summer side gig was working as the rodeo clown at amateur rodeos in the upper mid-west.
How successful was Shawn in his two professions?
Thompson was named Iowa’s “Junior-High Football Coach of the Year” in 2017. Meanwhile. he was named "clown of the year," selected to work the year-end finals rodeo or both for at least seven rodeo associations ranging from Kansas to Minnesota and Wisconsin.
“At the urging of several in the rodeo community, I applied for and was accepted for membership in the PRCA in 2022” reports Shawn Thompson.
And how successful has the switch to the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association ranks been for Thompson?
“This year I’ll work more rodeo and bull riding performances (by far) than ever in my career," he said. "The phone kept ringing from rodeo committees and stock contractors, so I took a deep breath, resigned from my teaching job in May and am a full-time rodeo comedy man.”
A glance at Boom Boom’s schedule reveals that in the last two weeks in July found ‘Boom Boom’ entertaining rodeo crowds in seven states; Iowa, Colorado, North Dakota, Nebraska, Indiana, South Dakota and Missouri.
Included in this stretch was an all-night drive between rodeos at Minot, N.D., ending July 23 and the first performance in Rifle, Colo. on July 24 (a 980 mile, 14 hour trip).
“Fortunately, I had a couple of cowboys in with me to help with the drive,” he said.
August is more of the same with 11 performances in the first 15 days with performances at Sallisaw, Okla.; Emporia, Coffeyville, Topeka and Mound City in Kansas; Washington, Mo.; Gray Mills and Viroqua, Wisconsin; and Mineral Point and Nimrod, Minn.
“The schedule slows after Labor Day, but it includes rodeos in Tuson and Flagstaff, Ariz., plus Las Vegas, Nev.
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“Mound City was my first ever PRCA Rodeo in 2022," he said, "I’ll admit I had a butterfly or two when I saw the size of the facilities and the crowd, but that quickly went away.”
“Working in front of a knowledgeable rodeo crowd with professionals; announcer Troy Goodridge and soundman Jake Jacobson made my job a piece of cake. The Mound City rodeo two years ago gave me confidence that 'going pro' was the right decision for me,” Thompson said. “Mound City will always hold a special place in my heart as it was my first PRCA rodeo."
“Our rodeo committee hired Shawn 'Boom Boom’ Thompson 'sight unseen' for our 2022 Linn County Fair PRCA Rodeo on the recommendation of our long-time announcer, Troy Goodridge,” reported rodeo chairman Charley Johnson of Prescott. “Troy had worked with Shawn at several winter bull riding events and said in his opinion Shawn was one of the undiscovered talents in the rodeo entertainment business.”
“The two traits that stand out to our rodeo committee regarding Shawn’s arena entertainment skills are the ‘spot on’ timing of his humor (timing is everything in a joke) and his ability to connect with both young and seniors in our grandstands,” Johnson added.
Shawn ‘Boom Boom’ Thompson is quickly moving into the “discovered gems” in the rodeo clown entertainment ranks.
You can catch Shawn Thompson in action Aug 9-10 at the Linn County Fair PRCA Rodeo at Mound City, Kan.
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