Regulars at the Saint-Tite Western Festival know very well Brinson James, this colorful character who entertains the crowds between rodeo disciplines and who sometimes distracts the animals to help the cowboys out of unfortunate situations.
Four or five years ago, Gabriel Plante saw him perform and had an epiphany.
“I said to myself, ‘Crime, me too!’ “I would love to do that,” said the teenager who visited him after the rodeo.
From that moment on, a certain magic happened. The boy showed Brinson what he could do, and they slowly began doing two-man drills. Today, Gabriel Plante pirouettes, dances and even does lasso tricks with astonishing ease.
“I had that in me the whole time. I enjoyed making people laugh and dance. I thought being a rodeo clown would represent me well.”
This year, the teenager from Abitibi-Témiscamingue toured Quebec as a clown with WildTime Production. However, in his opinion there is no comparison to Saint-Tite.
“The atmosphere here is simply explosive. It’s the best show.”
Gabriel Plante was a clown at the Saint-Tite Western Festival at the age of 15. (Amélie St-Yves)
Connect
Gabriel Plante’s goal is to connect with the public, to involve them, to entertain them. And if you look at the reaction to the James-Plante duo in Saint-Tite, the result is impressive.
“It’s the adrenaline rush you get when you get in the ring. You’re just happy to be there and get people involved.”
He also thinks it works best to invite people to join in, for example by clapping your hands.
“My goal is really to enliven the world. If I can make someone happy and have fun, my job is done.”
Inspired
The teenager doesn’t have a mission to distract the cops yet, but it will come soon, he hopes. Like Brinson, he would like to be in the race used in the event.
Gabriel Plante always finds great inspiration in watching Brinson James.
“I really think it connects to the world. He is one of my favorite rodeo clowns. He’s athletic, he dances well, he moves. To me it’s truly the most beautiful thing you can see.”
Otherwise, the cowboy continues his barrel racing competitions in his age group. It is also thanks to riding that he discovered the world of rodeos and clowns at a young age. He can’t decide which of the two disciplines stimulates him the most.
“I’m doing both right now and couldn’t part with either.”
If all goes well, the teenager should be back at the Saint-Tite Western Festival next year.