The Man Behind the Paint: PBR Entertainer Matt Merritt
Real Time Pain Relief would like to introduce our next team member, Matt Merritt. Unlike the previously showcased team members, who dabbled in the more dangerous, adrenaline rush side of the rodeo industry, Merritt is an entertainer. Most commonly mislabeled (not without some credibility) as a Rodeo Clown. Oxford Dictionary defines the term Rodeo Clown as a person whose job is to distract the bull from the rider who has been unseated in a bull riding event, or to provide comic entertainment for an audience between events. This definition was absolutely correct in earlier years of rodeo but in the 21st century of rodeo we have separated these jobs and given them two different job titles that each one respectfully deserves. Now we have bullfighters and entertainers. A bullfighter is someone who works to keep the bull riders out of harm’s way. A rodeo entertainer’s job is to entertain the crowd during slow times in a performance, and they don’t do anything “on purpose” to interfere with the livelihood of the bull riders in any way. You might see the entertainer walking through the crowd in the grandstands picking out the best fan of the night, dancing, telling jokes, doing specialty acts with different props such as cars, fireworks, and trick animals. I’ve even seen a rodeo entertainer ride a small plane. There is no limit to what these hard working, happy-go-lucky individuals will do to get a good laugh out of people.
Now that we have a better understanding of the actual job title let’s talk further about the man behind the can, Matt Merritt.
Brant Atwood grew up in the town of Pampa, TX, where oil, cattle, and grain contribute to most of the town’s economy. One can imagine how easy it was for a young boy, who watched his two older cousins traveling and making new friends in the field of bull riding, to be persuaded into loading up and hitting the rodeo trail. It was 1997, and at 11 years old, Atwood started riding bulls at a small junior rodeo series put on by rancher and stock contractor Joe Merrick and family. The series was called Rough Riders and it provided a way for kids like Brant Atwood to better themselves in rodeo, and maybe even in life. It was a program that allowed kids to congregate with family and friends and have fun. Now Atwood has a career as a Professional bull rider. When asked how and why he got into riding bulls, Brant unabashedly gave the credit to his cousins, Curtis and Cody Atwood, as the two driving forces that helped him start his bull riding career. 
We are incredibly excited to announce our first 
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