Entertainment Highlights :

Barrelman:Dale “Gizmo” McCracken

For the first time since 1992, a new clown will climb into the barrel at the Snake River Stampede. With the retirement of Leon Coffee, a new era begins. Dale “Gizmo” McCracken of Wheaton, Mo., will bring a new brand of comedy and energy to the Stampede.

Known on the rodeo circuit as Gizmo, he has been working rodeos for 27 years and travels the country putting on his shows from Canada to Texas and from the east coast to the west coast.

Gizmo displays many different characters while in the arena. He might be Ozzy Osborne, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dr. Giz or even Elvis. “There’s all different kinds of things that could happen,” he says. “I like to keep people looking for me and wondering what I’m going to do next.”

Gizmo’s acts share a high-energy, clean, family-oriented feel. He tries not to do anything that children would be disciplined for if they copied. “I don’t want to get them set up for a whoopin,” he says.

“I love people and love working the crowd,” Gizmo explains. He says he hopes he can help them forget their problems for a while and have a good time and some family fun. “If I can pull that off, I’ve had a good night,” he says

Bullfighter: Cory Wall

Thirty-eight year old Cory Wall has been bull fighting for over 18 years. He joined the profossional Rodeo Cowboys Assn., in 1997 and has fought bulls in over 35 states plus Mexico and Canada. Some of the rodeos he has worked for include the 2005 Pace Pro Rodeo Classic Tour Finale, The Texas Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals, the Senior Pro National Finals, the Dodge Mesquite Championship Rodeo Finals, and 200 consecutive performances at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Wall says he enjoys the whole aspect of being a professional bullfighter and enjoys the opportunity to share with young people what he has found to be successful. He is single and lives in Burlington, Colorado.

Bullfighter: Lance Brittan

Most people would rather work in an office than do what 33-year-old Lance Brittan does for a living.  His office is a dirt arena.  His business suit is a pair of cutoff jeans, athletic shoes, an over-sized shirt and a well-worn hat.  The make-up on his face belies the serious nature of what he does.

Brittan is a World Champion Bullfighter and he’s one of the best.  He grew up around cattle and horses and has been around them all of his life.  First, he tried riding bulls at the age of 19 and he was spending more money than he could make.  He saw the bullfighters get checks every weekend doing something he had grown up doing.  He decided to become a professional bullfighter and, in 1998, he qualified for the professional bullfighter finals in only his second year on the tour.  He qualified for the finals again in 1999 and won the world championship.

Brittan competed in the bullfight competition at Nampa and won it in 1999.

His wife, Cami, of six years and their two daughters, Madison, 3, and Morgan, 1, travel cross-country with him to the majority of his rodeos.  He says, “It’s truly a family affair.  I wouldn’t trade my life for anything else in the world.”