The community of rodeo is tight-knit, to say the least with most competing against, working, or traveling together on a regular basis.  

Last week, the community was speechless and heartbroken when the news broke that long-time rodeo personality Lee Bellows passed away.  

Bellows, who is from Moose Jaw, made his living for many years as a clown, being the entertainment factor between stoppages and events at rodeos.  

Sometimes he even included kids in his acts to bring some joy and excitement to the crowd and rodeo. 

One of those kids was Graham Stewart who from time to time would take part in Bellows’ acts that he had planned.  

Stewart was a part of rodeo at a very young age with his family being stock contractors and was at every event that Bellows was at. In addition, that gave him the opportunity to be a part of Lee’s act.  

“I can remember it as clear as day sitting beside his purple van and his barrel would be sitting out there and kids would come and try to ride it,” says Stewart. “I got to be a part of the clown act.” 

One of the fondest memories Stewart had with Lee was when the two found out there was gold underneath the rodeo grounds. 

“We had a big bomb that was going blow up to try and find this gold,” adds Stewart. “Sometimes it was oil, sometimes it was other things. I’d hold the bomb and it wouldn't work and we would go back and forth. The crowd when then think why is the kid holding onto the bomb? Eventually, he would connect the batteries and the pusher side where he was would blow up and we would both fall over and get a good laugh from the crowd.” 

Stewart explains that sometimes when they would do the same act, the really comical part was the act not working due to the weather conditions not cooperating.  

In the end, the times the two spent together resulted in a lot of life lessons and even tricks of the trade.  

“I learned at a very young age that it’s a professional business. When you’re supposed to be on and it's clown act time you better be around. When it was the time between calf roping or steer wrestling you better be ready. The rodeo committee that put it on is counting on you.” 

“You would be in Dauphin, Manitoba, or Alberta and it would be 100 above and you learned so many tricks like putting baby powder on your face so it wouldn’t melt in the sun and baby oil to get it off.” 

Stewart would describe Bellows as a true professional when it came to his rodeo clown act.  

“The show must go on. It didn’t matter if there were two feet of mud or 100-degree heat, he was there to entertain people, make them laugh, and make them enjoy the rodeo. No matter what the circumstances Lee was always there and always did it.” 

Once he got older, Stewart would begin competing in the Saskatchewan High School Rodeo circuit from Grades 9-12.  

Following his time within the SHSRA, the time he spent with Bellows would lead him to team up with Robert Schmidt, who is now a rodeo announcer, to start their own rodeo clown act.  

“We started doing a clown act at a lot of high school rodeos. Lee was great for lots of advice and our biggest fans. A fond memory that I had was Lee would always say, I don’t know boy you sure have a future in this business. He was always encouraging.” 

Bellows’ main love was being a rodeo clown, but he also took part in cowboy poetry every moment he had a chance. Watching Bellows perform cowboy poetry at different rodeos or events actually inspired Stewart to write some of his own poetry.  

Like the whole rodeo community, Stewart was hit hard by the passing of Bellows.  

“Over the last few months with what folks have been posting about Lee, it made me think about all the living he did. I don’t really remember a time in my life when Lee wasn’t around."

Stewart concluded by saying that Bellows’ legacy will never be forgotten in Western Canada.  

A Celebration of Lee’s Life will be held on Thursday, April 6th, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. in the Convention Center at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds.   

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