John Harrison will go down as one of the most decorated and accomplished barrelman and rodeo clowns in the sport.
Harrison will be making his 11th appearance at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge in 2022 as a barrelman. He was honored beforehand, Nov. 30 at the 2022 PRCA Awards Banquet at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas.
He was honored with not one, not two, but three year-end awards in front of the sellout crowd. Harrison was named the PRCA Comedy Act of the Year for the second time, the PRCA Coors Man in the Can for the fifth time, and the PRCA Clown/Barrelman of the Year for the first time in his career.
“You know it’s special every single time you are honored with something like this,”
JOHN HARRISON
“You know it’s special every single time you are honored with something like this,” Harrison said. “I have never won Clown of the Year. It’s an award that I think Justin Rumford is going to win every year and he’s always so deserving. My heart is so happy, it’s a feeling that’s going to stick with me for the rest of my life.”
John, his wife Carla, and four children are affectionately known as “The Clown Family” among rodeo fans and professionals. You rarely see John at a rodeo without his family by his side. He said none of this would be possible without their support and the backing of the rodeo community.
“I couldn’t do it without my rodeo family, there are just the best people out there,”
JOHN HARRISON
“I couldn’t do it without my rodeo family, there are just the best people out there,” he said. “What I do for them out on the dirt feels so minimal compared to what they do for me and my family. This is how we pay our bills at home. The committees out there give us jobs. We couldn’t go up and down the road without them and the stock contractors.
“It’s a ton of things that come together in the grand scheme of things. It’s the announcers, the sound guys that make us sound good, the bullfighters that help me with the act that make this all possible. I also couldn’t do this without my wife. She is behind the scene doing all the things that nobody wants to do. From warming up horses, picking stall, and all those things. I couldn’t do what I do without them.”
JOHN HARRISON
Harrison became a member of the PRCA in 1999, as a trick and roman rider, and trick roper. He later diversified and added barrelman to his PRCA card. The rest is history.
Below, are the other winners at the 2022 PRCA Awards Banquet.
Nutrena Horses of the Year presented by AQHA
POCKETFUL OF LIGHT, “Pockets” – owned by Caleb Smidt (Tie-Down Roping)
DASHIN HAZE, “Tyson” – owned by Curtis Cassidy (Steer Wrestling)
JESS A MOOSE, “Grey” – owned by Jim Donnan (Team Roping Header)
KADABRA KING, “Turbo” – owned by Patrick and Christi Smith (Team Roping Heeler)
JS FROSTYS BADGER, “Goose” – owned by Scott and Kelli Snedecor
FAMOUS LIL JET “Rollo” – owned by Jordon and Justin Briggs (Barrel Racing)
BAYBE BULLET, “Baybe” – owned by Taylor and Joey Williams (Breakaway Roping)
John Justin Standard of the West Committeeman of the Year
Tim Baldwin
Pendleton Whisky Let ‘Er Buck Stock of the Year
Bareback Riding: Gun Fire, Frontier Rodeo
Saddle Bronc Riding: Black Tie, Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics
Bull Riding: Smoke Stack, Beutler & Son Rodeo
Media Award: Excellence in Broadcast Journalism
Taylor Sheridan
Media Award: Excellence in Multimedia Journalism
The Cowboy Channel
Polaris Remuda Awards
Stock Contractor: J Bar J, Inc.
Rodeo Committee: Fort Worth Stock & Rodeo
Hesston Sowing Good Deeds
Reno Rodeo — Reno, Nev.
Coors Man in the Can
John Harrison
Photographer of the Year
Click Thompson
Music Director of the Year
Benje Bendele
Clown/Barrelman of the Year
John Harrison
Timer of the Year
Molly Twitchell
Dress Act of the Year
Bobby Kerr
Comedy Act of the Year
John Harrison
Small Rodeo of the Year
Abbyville Frontier Days — Abbyville, Kan.
Medium Rodeo of the Year
Black Hills Roundup — Belle Fourche, S.D.
Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year
Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo — Fort Worth, Texas
Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year
Pendleton Round-Up — Pendleton, Ore.
Pickup Man of the Year
Matt Twitchell
Bullfighter of the Year
Cody Webster
Announcer of the Year
Garrett Yerigan
Secretary of the Year
Eva Chadwick
Veterinarian of the Year
Gregg Veneklasen
Stock Contractor of the Year
Frontier Rodeo
Donita Barnes Contract Personnel Life Achievement
Bronc Rumford
PROVIDED COURTESY OF PRORODEO.COM
