Last night, he got to experience the real deal, as the Hamster was back in Texas to try his hand at becoming a real-life buckaroo. So lots of roping, riding and mucking the stalls, y’all.

In Roan’s Prairie, Texas at the Haynie Cattle Ranch, Richard met up with TJ Haynie, who was in charge of teaching Richard how to wrangle cattle, vaccinate baby calves and break wild horses. But before Richard got his boots properly dusted, TJ provided him some true cowboy duds… but no hat, as that’s something Richard would have to earn. A baseball cap would have to do for now.

His first job of the day was to master the art of roping. Before a cattle rancher can issue any vaccinations to an animal, he must first learn how to safely catch ‘em. So Richard stepped right up to lasso a plastic steer. And after a few tries, a cowboy in the making was starting to emerge.

Next, the Hamster met “Johnny” the horse for a quick riding warm-up, and soon enough he and TJ were off on the range to gather some cattle, with Richard switching over to a calmer horse named “Bill.”

A cattle ranch depends on selling their cattle to stay financially stable, so keeping their herds healthy is a must. Richard and TJ came across a steer with a case of “foot rot” – an infection caused by a cut in the hoof. If it’s not treated quickly and appropriately, it could potentially spread across the herd, thus destroying a ranch hand’s year-long work. So Richard observed a swift TJ work his magic in catching the hefty fella, and from there, the cattle was administered the antibiotic it so desperately needed.

But the darn cowboy hat was still on Richard’s mind… and TJ took the eager Brit to Catalena Hatters to learn a little bit more about the style and history of this iconic piece of American headwear. He was also treated to the shaping of his very own hat, complete with a curved brim thanks to the art of steaming, which softens the hat and waterproofs it. Richard was officially ready to go!

During Day 2, Richard synced up with seven other ranch hands at the Haynie Ranch — including TJ’s father, Tom, and Clint Hopping, who you should recognize from episode 3–for some real cattle ranching a.k.a. vaccinating, tagging and castrating the cows. The latter is a very important and necessary part of the job because it controls aggression, keeps over-breeding in check. Plus, it leads to a better quality meat.

A queasy-looking Richard was responsible for vaccinating some of these calves. He also tried taming or “throwing” a baby calf so that it could be vaccinated and tagged. He wasn’t a fan of this particular portion, but he was a total sport. “It’s hard, isn’t it–this cowboy thing.” Richard exclaimed.

Next, Richard joined Tom and TJ for some good old-fashioned gun slinging … er, target practice. Just a little fun shooting at some bottles.

Richard’s next task was to, um, muck the stall belonging to a baby colt. Not exactly the 4th of July celebration he was expecting, but again, being a cowboy is hard work.

Eventually, he and a handful of ranch hands enjoyed some grilled sirloin and other holiday trimmings like sourdough rolls, cowboy potatoes and homemade peach cobbler. Talk about a tasty reward!

The day’s work was far from over, as it was time to um, palpate some cattle. This little exercise is where one checks a female cow’s reproductive system. From there, the ranch is able to project how many calves they’ll have in the future. Richard handled the task with as much grace as one could when going up a cow with a plastic glove, and Tom and TJ were impressed. For a glimpse of what Richard went through, check out this clip.

For his final lesson, Richard reacquainted himself with “Johnny” so that he and TJ could break some wild horses. The term “breaking” describes putting a “young horse on the path to becoming a high performance work partner.” Once gathered in the corral, Richard and TJ observed the horses’ behavior as these rebellious creatures got used to their presence. These wild horses have never been alone, as they’ve grown up in packs their entire lives. TJ lassoed one tan-colored horse into its own corral to introduce her to a new space, win her trust, and get her accustomed to a saddle. Breaking horses is an art that takes incredible patience and quite some time.

At the end, he and TJ had a bit of a bromance and Hamster reflected on his time spent at Haynie Ranch with much admiration and respect. To reward his efforts, TJ bestowed this British cowboy with his very own shiny belt buckle. Yee-haw!

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This wasn’t your ordinary barber gig. He had the chance to work with master barber Kamal Nuru, owner and operator of the mega popular Levels Barbershop.

And Kamal — as Richard called him, “the undisputed king” of barbering — wasted no time getting Richard to work with his first cut of the day, the classic “Caesar” do. If you’re not familiar, George Clooney, Jay-Z and President Barack Obama have rocked it well.

Now, the Caesar cut isn’t as basic as one might think. There’s a “light Caesar,” which means the barber should cut against the grain of the hair. The opposite is the “dark Caesar,” which means to cut with the grain. All of this sounded incredibly complicated to a nervous Brit looking to impress his mentor. And before he knew it, a Levels regular named Mike was sitting in Richard’s hair and looking for a trim.

Mike wasn’t bashful about what he was looking for either, and was a bit outspoken about his nerves, but Kamal was right by Richard’s side as he perfected Mike’s “shape-up.” After all was said and done, Mike applauded Richard’s efforts and gave him an 8 out of 10. Not bad for a first-timer. High five, Richard!

Next, Kamal and Richard headed to Queens for a visit to the historical barber supply store, Long Island Cutlery, so Richard could purchase his very own shiny pair of clippers.

Once back at Levels, another customer, Ruben, was looking for a short Caesar cut (with the grain). Ruben was a bit more relaxed and impressed with Richard’s skills — another feather in Richard the rookie’s cap. But the hardest work was yet to come.

Two of Kamal’s master barbers, Rico London and Tony Touch, stepped up to showcase another side to barbering: hair design! Richard was a little unsure about how to go about it, but he jumped in like a champ, leaving Rico, Tony and Kamal totally impressed by his creativity and focus. To amp things up a little more, Tony and Rico jumped in with some hair spray paint, cosmetic pencil and glitter. A mini barber battle if you will. Richard was just in awe of the whole thing.

And for more on Tony Touch, watch an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip of the charming and entertaining master barber talking about his early barber days below:

So how did Kamal think Richard did? He said he liked Richard’s spirit and that he followed directions quite well. Phew, another successful challenge in the bag for our pal, Richard!

Later on, the Hamster headed West to meet with the folks at Robinson Helicopter Company, one of the leading helicopter manufacturers in the world. A giddy Richard couldn’t have been more excited, as he is a proud owner of a Robinson R44 helicopter. The opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at how one of these machines works — specifically an R66 Turbine model — and to see how things roll on the assembly line would be Richard next’s task. If his work was up to snuff, he’d have the chance to test fly it, too.

His first assignment was to learn how to assemble a cabin. Cabin rigger Danny Lopez had already constructed the skeletal frame of the cabin, but Richard’s job would be to remove and clean some of the “skin,” a.k.a. the metal pieces that are designed for drill holes.

Then it was time to file the rigger holes so that fits appropriately to the cabin’s frame, and clean the dust out after sanding. But drilling in some rivets would be a bit more demanding for the eager Hamster. After some good old-fashioned practice, he got into the swing of it.

Soon he was off to tinker around on the mighty 200-pound turbine engine so he could attach it to the airframe. A “mind boggling” task, Richard said, but he moved swiftly and accomplished this without any snag.

His final step, fitting the helicopter blades, was a bit nerve-racking, too, as the precision of the matter took patience and supreme focus. But Richard pushed on. And bolting them to the hearth, no problem. Woo hoo, it was fight test time!

As he soared into the clear blue California sky with test pilot Chris Smith, the two ran through a series of precision maneuvers, like the pedal turn test, which makes sure the blades are rigged appropriately. Then, a 1,500-foot climb for a proper flight test – success! The autorotation test, which tests the machine’s stability during a decent, went smoothly, too. And the landing test was flawless. It’s safe to say that Richard passed with flying colors!

What did you think about this week’s episode? Share your comments below!

Didier Francesia, one of the industry’s top mechanics, introduced Richard to the “sleek beauty” that is the Dallara D12 race car, driven by French racer Sébastien Bourdais. From there, the Hamster got the rundown on what it takes to keep this motor runnin’, and Didier didn’t hesitate on getting Richard started with the hefty fuel hose, which fuels a car with 2.7 gallons per second. Seemingly perplexed by the sheer size of it, Richard struggled a bit when handling this high capacity hose. And the toughness of the pneumatic jack, which instantly hoists the vehicle off the ground so that a pit crew can change tires in a jiffy, was a bit “ridiculous,” as Richard yelped.

But there would be no tolerance for whining; it was time for the main drill–changing the outside rear tire in less than seven seconds. Being the pro that he is, Didier blasted through it in under six. Richard topped out at 26.5 seconds, which didn’t exactly do much for his ego.

Next up, he gave the inside front tire a shot, as Didier thought this particular position might be a better fit for a newbie. The Hamster hammered through in 15.9 seconds, but it wasn’t enough to meet Didier’s cut. But as we all know, practice… um, makes perfect, so a frustrated Richard had to run through the drill several more times (nevermind his increasing nerves taking over) until he finally got into a groove. He managed to consistently change several tires in under six seconds, which was exactly what Didier needed to make him a part of the Dragon Racing pit crew. High five, Richard!

With just one day left until Sonoma’s big Indy Grand Prix, Didier assigned Richard to Jeremy Johnson’s pit crew to work on Dragon Racing’s No. 6 car, a duplicate Dallara belonging to Brit racer Katherine Legge. During some practice runs for the IndyCar rookie, who’s also the first English woman to win an open-wheel race in North America, Richard’s times weren’t exactly what he hoped for. And the only chance he had left to nail it would be during race day. Talk about pressure!

To help ease some of Richard’s worries about the big race, he got the chance to take a spin around the track with world champion racing driver Mario Andretti. Experiencing the intense force of a race car at top speed was exactly what Richard needed in order to get a clearer understanding of how the car responds to the race track. And riding with Mario was pretty darn cool.

Plus, Richard got to attend Dragon Racing’s private strategy meeting ahead of the race, and heard from top folks like Jay Penske, the owner and president of Dragon Racing, who advised him that consistency is key.

Some of the practice tire drills that followed didn’t bode well time-wise, and Richard’s pre-race panic was building. But before he could freak out much more, the race’s 27 drivers were off, blazing around the Sonoma track! Richard had to sit tight and wait for Katherine’s car to approach.

Success! The Hamster rocked break-neck speed while changing tires to beat fuel time. One small problem: the original tire accidentally rolled in front of Katherine’s car during the procedure, ultimately leaving her to lose one second. Eek! “A colossal screw up,” Richard said.

During a second pit stop, he managed to beat the fuel time, but just barely passed the second tire behind the pit. And then Katherine started to experience some car trouble. During an unexpected pit stop, it was discovered that the clutch in No. 6 wasn’t able to shift properly. This meant that Katherine had to reluctantly drop out of the Indy Grand Prix after 48 laps. Definitely a hard moment for the team and for Richard, too. As for Sebastien, he unfortunately crashed out during lap 63. Not a good day for the Dragon Racing team.

After all was said and done, Richard walked away with a lot of love and respect for this incredible team sport and for the folks at Dragon Racing. This particular challenge was his toughest yet, but in true Richard fashion, he did it with a lot of heart.

First up, Richard was in Snook, Texas, where he teamed up with skilled bullfighter Clint Hopping, who broke down the nitty gritty of what exactly a bullfighter a.k.a. the rodeo clown does. He’s the hero of the ring, really, as it’s his job to distract the bull. Um, sounds pretty scary right? As Clint explained in the show, “Whenever I call to get health insurance, it’s in the top two dangerous things you could ever do.”

Here, in this exclusive behind-the-scenes clip, Clint discusses the safety precautions on set. Watch as Richard comically chimes in with his concerns.

Unfortunately for Richard, he had to change up his classic cowboy gear for a T-shirt and shorts, as it was time for a little Bullfighting 101. Clint and his bullfighting colleague, Charles, introduced Richard to the “barrel,” a makeshift bull constructed out of a wheelbarrow, plus explained what “Shooting the gap” is all about–the classic safety maneuver where if a rider falls off a bull, the bullfighter only has a minute to get between them and the bull. A human shield, if you will. To ease Hamster’s nerves, Clint assured him that he does has have one ace in the hole — the bull cannot turn as quickly as a human, thus a bullfighter’s agility works in his favor.

Before he could run for the hills to hide, Richard got decked out in some protective gear so he could experience the real thing–a real live enraged bull. It didn’t matter how much paddling he was suited up in, Richard still felt “very small and very English.” And in a matter of seconds, a lighting-quick Hamster bolted into the ring without as much of a blink of an eye. Phew! A second and much feistier bull was close behind and Richard just barely missed this bull by the horn. Eek! After his nail-biting tutorial had concluded, a frazzled Richard wondered how does a bullfighter relax after risking their lives in such a manner? Well, nothing soothes an adrenaline-pumping bullfighting mind like a little fishing.

Once back at the arena, a nervy Richard knew it was time to buck up and face what was coming for him. Clint, however, was concerned about his “Hollywood face getting mutilated on his watch,” so Richard was saved by the bell. He would not be going one-on-one with a 1,400-pound bull after all. A relieved Richard opted to watch the craziness from the stands and observe Clint work his magic as a “true American bullfighter.”

On the island of Maui, Richard prepped himself to master an ancient Hawaiian watersport called stand-up paddle boarding, as he would be required to compete against some of the sport’s best competitors in the grueling eight-mile Gorge Paddle Challenge on Oregon’s Hood River. Definitely not “Baywatch,” my “Crash Course” friends.

So what is stand-up paddle boarding? Well, as Richard said in the show, “think of it like surfing with one long canoe paddle.” But when it comes to water and Richard, he doesn’t really fancy himself “a water baby,” as he’s mostly used to water “falling on his head” in his native England. His mentor, surf legend Dave Kalama — who invented modern paddle boarding as we know it with fellow surfer Laird Hamilton — assured him that it’s a bit easier than he thinks.

As we’ve seen throughout “Richard Hammond’s Crash Course” so far this season, Richard doesn’t shy away from a new task, regardless of how skeptical or nervous he might be. Picking up the paddle boarding techniques was easy peasy, and dare we say, Richard looked pretty darn content gliding on the glistening ocean water. But while this test-run seemed promising, being race-ready for the Hood River’s choppier waters would be the real challenge.

To get a better understanding about his friendly paddle board, wide-eyed Richard was schooled on what it takes to bring one of these bad boys to life — from tracing around the board template and breaking out the saw to sanding the board. This moment was seemingly just the thing Richard needed to get geared up about his big race!

Now at Hood River in Oregon, Richard’s pre-race jitters were front and center, mostly thanks to the “mad” wind setting in. Dave assured him the day was absolutely perfect. Two-time world champion paddle boarder Kai Lenny also stepped in to offer Richard a few tips, but Richard only wanted to know if he’d make it back in one piece.

And the blown horn sounded and a wobbly Richard was on his way in the amateur group while Dave and Kai jetted off in the elite category. However, standing on his own two feet would prove difficult and Hamster attempted to maneuver his board on his knees… as the water allowed. Frustration set in for the exhausted Englishman, and a lifeguard soon came to the rescue to help him to shore. Despite not crossing the finish line, Richard’s respect for the sport was unquestionable. He showed extreme courage as a paddle board newbie and that’s incredibly admirable.

Tell us: How do you think Richard did in the rodeo ring? And do you think he gave it his all on Hood River?

First up, Richard headed to the New York City comedy hot spot, Gotham Comedy Club, where he would get tips from seasoned funnyman Jim Mendrinos on how to perform a stand-up routine for 300 New Yorkers. And Richard wasn’t even in the building five minutes before he was introduced to the stage and a microphone. Jim promised that any wussiness would not be tolerated… or in his own comical words, “We’ll beat that outta ya.”

We kind of felt for Hamster, though. The Big Apple is known as the comedy capital of the world. The thought of jumping up on the very same stage that’s seen modern comedy greats like Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, and Whoopi Goldberg do their thing is more than intimidating! It’s downright frightening.

Jim, the man behind the ultimate guide to ruling comedy, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Comedy Writing,” wasn’t going to let Richard weasel his way out of things. Despite thinking he’s just not funny, Jim encouraged Richard to start putting his thoughts on paper, things happening in his life, all while reminding him to “breathe.” Before we knew it, Richard was off to Queens to hopefully lock down a job as a cab driver.

We’ve watched Richard drive countless vehicles on “Top Gear” for years. But getting behind the wheel of a cab in one of the busiest cities in the world isn’t exactly the same thing, especially for a guy who hates traffic more than anything.

Once introduced to his cab driving guide, John McDonagh, he and Richard were off to Manhattan in search of the most lucrative fares. Along the way, Hamster was schooled on the financial breakdown of a cab driver. The harsh reality was that $170 per shift goes toward garage fees and gas before a cabbie can collect any cash for himself — not exactly what a newbie comedian is looking to pick up some quick cash wants to hear.

As they trekked along in their Ford Crown Victoria, Richard’s training got off to a shaky start. The traffic on the Williamsburg Bridge was beyond packed, the air conditioner failed and the cab’s engine overheated. Once making it over the bridge, John and Richard surveyed the damage–yep, the cab was kaput. Not letting the situation damper their day, the two headed to one of New York City’s iconic eateries, Katz’s Deli, for their classic pastrami on rye sandwich. Yum, yum and YUM!

Jokes aren’t going to write themselves, so Richard ventured back to Gotham Comedy Club to get down to business, comedy-speaking, with Jim and his colleague Eddie Brill. Their first piece of advice for him was to “think in terms of conversation.” Being conversational, especially in a room full of strangers, isn’t exactly old hat for a Brit. Richard earnestly attempted to run through a time he ran with the bulls in Paloma, but Jim and Eddie picked up on his nervy demeanor, so it was back to the drawing board. And for Richard, it was back to the cab…

Richard quickly jumped behind the wheel for his first run through the NYC streets. Off the bat, he was in the hole $160 bucks due to fees and gas, so the challenge to recoup that was on! But seemingly upbeat, he picked up his first customer and it was off to Washington Square Park!

Shortly thereafter, he went solo, and headed uptown to drop a female patron off at 84th and 2nd. Unfortunately, Hamster forgot one tiny thing–to turn the meter on. D’oh! No money in this starving comedian’s pocket.

To cheer him up, Richard met up with his mentor, Jim Mendrinos, and chatted about some of Richard’s comedy ideas over popsicles. This touching bromance moment was exactly what Richard needed to get back on track to write some gut-busting jokes. To help him with his rehearsal, he met with comedienne Katie Hayes and some of her cohorts to see how they got the job done. Were Richard’s pre-show jitters in check? Um, not a chance.

But once in front of the mic, his pain for being in front of a small crowd was an exact match for his painful kidney stone story. And before he could say “Beam Me Up, Scotty,” he was off in his cab to pick up his next few customers.

As he drove through the busy streets of New York, thoughts of his comedy routine raced through his mind. And while he didn’t make bank as he would have hoped, John was congratulatory on his efforts! Dude survived the task and that was worth more than anything. His nerves about doing stand-up, as he would soon find out, would be worth something as well.

Before taking the stage for his big moment, Jim reminded him to “breathe” and that’s all Richard needed to hear to toughen up before the Gotham Comedy Club crowd. In true Richard fashion, he was his charming usual self, and that kidney stone story was no more a painful moment from the past, but one worth savoring. Because at the end of the day, it was about conquering his biggest fear, and Richard certainly accomplished that!

Tell us, how do you think Richard did as a comedian and as a cab driver? Share your comments below!

Syncing up with stuntman legend Rick Avery at his training facility just outside of L.A., Richard was briefed on what it takes to “punch a guy’s lights out,” stuntman-style. Add in a couple of kicks and it was only a matter of minutes until Hamster was one-on-one with fellow stuntman Thom Williams, showing off his quick and simple fighting skills.

But the real task for this episode was for Richard to perfect his stuntman prowess so he could film an on-air promo for BBC America, which would appear at the end of the episode. In order to accomplish this, Richard met with stuntman Brett A. Jones, or as Richard calls him, a “real-life fall guy” to learn how to get the perfect fall… off a four-foot-high tower. The only thing is, Richard is afraid of heights.

Like a true champ, Richard stepped up to the challenge. But an even bigger feat was right around the corner: a 30-foot tower platform, which would see Richard plunging down onto what he described as “child’s bouncy house.” Hamster pushed on with supreme focus despite being totally terrified.

Next on Richard’s stuntman list was a fight! But this wasn’t any ordinary fight — Richard would be stealing Thom Williams’ sandwich. Just picture some dudes in an office, suited up ties, and Richard’s the annoying one who’s looking to swipe your lunch grub. Uh, that doesn’t sound pretty, right? Fight choreographer Dave Morizot, who’s coordinated more than 100 fights for film and TV, showed Richard some new fancy fight moves and then it was lights, camera, action! Fists were flying, elbows were in the air, chairs were spinning, and something ceramic was cracking! A very giddy Richard couldn’t have been more pleased, with his early jitters completely nowhere to be found. Now just imagine this happening a few more times, except with some extra desk props like pencils, a stapler and some candy added to the mix… and some very impressive kick moves from the Hamster. But biggest job of the day was yet to come — being thrown through a window! Candy glass, we should say, but still a BIG job for a newbie. Check out Richard’s remarks on the day’s work and more below:

Richard’s fear of heights is something that was tested not once, but a couple of times in this episode. When standing on the 6th Street bridge in downtown Los Angeles, Rick and his son, Mike, informed Richard that his next stuntman assignment would be to jump 30 feet below into a giant airbag. You can only imagine what was going through Richard’s mind at this very moment. Lucky for him, Brett was there to lend him some comforting words. And he was off! “HOLY CRAP – That was frightening,” he exclaimed when all was said and done.

“You’re only as good as your last stunt,” Rick Avery told Richard. Well, when it comes to fire, those words aren’t exactly warm and fuzzy. Now below the 6th Street bridge, which folks will recognize from 2012′s “The Dark Knight Rises,” a wide-eyed Richard found out that he’ll be decked in fire-resistant clothing and lathered up in fire gel, plus his neck, face and hair, Richard seemingly took it in just fine, but again, he was going to be set on FIRE! WOWSA!

Richard’s momentous ‘crash course’ as a Hollywood stuntman culminated with a car flip, like a real stuntman on a movie set. Yikes! Tom Harper, who’s been a stuntman for four decades, schooled him on safety measures and the inner workings of the stunt-mobile he’d be driving, a Crown Victoria. While this particular stunt saw Richard only going a max of 40mph, his mind briefly wandered to his 2006 accident, which almost killed him. Grasping the safety measures was no question for him. Also key: “precision,” “courage” and “accuracy.”

At last, here is the BBC America on-air promo in all it’s glory. What do you guys think? How do you think Richard did as a Hollywood stuntman?

For some extra fun, check out this exclusive behind-the-scenes clip of Rick and Mike Avery talking a little bit about their background and more.