A raging, 800kg beast charging at his mate’s lifeless body, Barraba rodeo clown Lincoln Brown was forced to make a split-second decision.

In an explosion of adrenaline and instinct, Mr Brown put his body on the line to protect fallen cowboy Chris Lowe in front of the stunned crowd at this month’s PBR Brendan Clark Invitational in Newcastle.

The two men live just 10 minutes apart in Barraba, but neither could have imagined their lives would collide like this.

Mr Lowe, the defending Australian bull-riding champion, had just been bucked off and knocked unconscious when Mr Brown saw the bull turn and stampede towards him.

“After he went down, I turned around and saw a big, black head and two horns coming our way, so I held onto Chris and waited for impact,” Mr Brown said. 

“There was no way I was going to leave him.” 

Miraculously, the bull missed the pair by millimetres, skimming over the top of their heads.

“It was one of the times I thought I was going to get run over by a bull, but we were real lucky this time,” Mr Brown said.

“When a rider hits the ground you usually step around the bull, but when he’s knocked out and, especially in this case, because he’s a good mate, you’d do anything for them.”

Mr Brown has been a rodeo clown – now known as a rodeo protection athlete – since 2009, taking on some of the toughest bulls in the land. And next time he goes for a drink with Mr Lowe, you can bet he won’t be the one shouting.

“I owe him a beer, that’s for sure,” Mr Lowe said.

“The whole thing is a bit of a blur. I remember getting tangled up and hitting the ground and I remember Lincoln being there asking if I was alright.

“He’s one of the best in the business.”

Mr Lowe is no stranger to injuries on the job, either.

At last year’s corresponding event, he had his right ear partially ripped off.