He was a jockey as a boy and started his circus career at 17, when he bought a half interest in a trained pig. Next he was a strong man, and in 1844 he made his debut as a clown. A star of the one-ring circus, Rice achieved national prominence as an equestrian jester. By the 1860s he was at the height of his career, commanding the then-phenomenal salary of $1,000 a week. He toured the United States with his own one-horse show and with other circuses and was recognized everywhere by the Uncle Sam beard that was his trademark. President Zachary Taylor made Rice an honorary colonel; in 1868 he put himself forward for the Republican nomination for the presidency. An alcoholic, Rice began walking out on contracts, and in 1885 he made his last tour.