Tony Alarcon Rodeo Bullfighter

Tony Alarcon sat inside his red dually pickup with a busted lip and a broken front tooth. It seemed like he had gotten into a brawl, but the reality is he took a bull's horn to the head. About three months ago a rider got hung up and Tony jumped beside the bull to free the bull rider and he took a horn straight to the mouth. It broke his left cheekbone and a front tooth and his lip required 21 stitches. Tony, an El Paso native, 22, and a 2011 graduate of Ysleta High School in El Paso, Texas, is a professional bull fighter, more commonly known as a rodeo clown whose job is to fight the rodeo bulls and protect the bull riders. Tony's bull fighting days kicked off about two years ago in Lubbock. He moved to the Panhandle to attend Texas Tech University, where he is now a senior pursuing a degree in animal science. Tony started (bull riding) in a practice pin while working as the assistant rodeo coach at the university. In February, 2015, Tony earned his card from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). Since then, he's fought in about 30 rodeos and he expects to have about 75 rodeos under his belt by the end of the year. As far as bull fighters go, Tony is the only one from El Paso to hold the PRCA Pro card. What the PRCA looks for the most is how well you're going to protect the cowboy, how well you're going to step in front of a bull and you're not scared to step in front of them.