VIDEO: Announcer Boyd Polhamus is Part of the San Angelo Rodeo Tradition

Boyd Polhamus has been voted the WPRA Announcer of the Year three times, named Announcer of the Year by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association four times, and is the recipient of the Lane Frost Memorial Award. For the last 15 years, people who attend the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo consider his voice a major part of a long-standing West Texas tradition.

“Boyd is one of the best announcers to ever announce for pro-rodeo,” Tom Thompson, marketing director for the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, said. “He was a game-changer to the way people announce and credential contestants. He was one of the first people to bring up their stats and bits and pieces of knowledge about them. Every time Polhamus announces a contestant, you know more about that contestant by the time he comes out of the chute, just because of the 10 or 15 seconds he spent credentialing the contestant.”

In addition to his short bio of the contestants, Polhamus also announces in the arena on horseback, which contributes to the uniqueness of his announcing style.

“We feel like this makes a stronger connection to our crowd. They relate to him as not only somebody that’s an announcer, but is also a cowboy himself,” Thompson said.

In 2014, Polhamus gave a rare on-camera interview with the late Ed Blackburn:

Polhamus competed in college rodeos as a bareback rider, and it was there that he “discovered his talent for announcing,” noted Thompson. “That was kind of the advent of his career.”

"I started by pretending to be an announcer in my college rodeo's practice arena. Coaches heard me and hired me to announce the hometown college rodeo, and the career took off from there," Polhamus explained.

Most people may associate the rodeo with the bull riding and barrel racing; however, Thompson believes that the announcer is a significant part of the show as well.

"It's very humbling," Polhamus said. "I don't really feel like I deserve a following. I love what I do, and yes, I work really hard at being prepared and informed for each event; but had I won the Powerball last week, I'd still want to announce San Angelo."

“I would say Boyd is a key part of our opening, closing, and everything in between,” he said. “If you ask Boyd, he will say that he’s part of a team. He will never take the credit for himself, but he will share it with everybody. We like to say people come to the rodeo for entertainment, but we like to say it's better entertainment with Boyd announcing.”

Here is a second interview where Polhamus talks about the recent history of bull riding:

The San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo is underway and will run from February 5 to 21. Tickets are currently on sale at all of the City’s ticket outlets.

For more information on the rodeo, please visit www.sanangelorodeo.com.

More information about Boyd Polhamus can be found at www.boydpolhamus.net.