Twenty intense performances in 17 very long days -- how do those golden-throated announcers at the Houston Rodeo keep up their enthusiasm day after day?
"When I was a little boy in elementary school, Mrs. L.C. Beech, a classmate's mother, took a bunch of us downtown to the rodeo. I was ruined right there -- I was smitten!" Bailey is involved with the Show all year and considers announcing at the rodeo just an extension of his participation. What about the other three who travel all over the country announcing rodeos and other events year-round? "There are times when I'd rather take a whipping than leave home," said Boyd Polhamus, Houston Rodeo play-by-play announcer. "Then I turn on the mike and start selling the Show, and I'm ready." Bob Tallman, the lead rodeo announcer and a 17-year veteran of the Houston Rodeo, seems to stay ready. He's always in motion, talking to the audience, yelling greetings to friends, tossing friendly insults to cowboys getting ready to compete or giving Polhamus pointers and information. Tallman began as sort of an experiment for the Show, adding color from his announcing position on horseback while the late Chuck Parkison handled the play-by-play. "Yeah, I've been doing this a long time, but it never gets old, because we do something different every year. The technology is what sets this rodeo apart from, and above, the others," he said. And Tallman knows his way around rodeo. He's announced every major event, including the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev. He has been named the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Announcer of the Year three times, most recently in 1997. "I thought Bob Tallman walked on water," said Polhamus. "My biggest thrill in rodeo was being selected to work the National Finals Rodeo and sit next to Bob. That's where our friendship really began, as well." Polhamus also achieved a major personal goal that year: In 1991, at the age of 26, he became the youngest announcer ever to work the NFR. He was invited back in 1994 and 1997. He just finished his sixth year at the Houston Rodeo, and considers it one of his highest honors and biggest challenges. "Our fans know who Tuff [Hedeman] and Ty [Murray] are, but they're not really familiar with Kurt Goulding, the guy who won the steer wrestling in Houston. We need to build our fan base for rodeo."
Polhamus sees the future of rodeo following the Houston format of limiting entries to only the best contestants, paying a bigger purse and televising the events. Sharon Camarillo, color commentator for the Houston Show, agreed. "I love Houston. They're willing to take chances -- willing to take rodeo into the future. I love that progressive thinking." Both have specific ideas for that future. Polhamus said, "You've got to have the big names at every performance. If the Chicago Bulls had a different team playing every week, and Michael Jordan wasn't there for every game, you'd have a lot of disappointed fans." Camarillo and Tallman hope for the re-institution of professional tours in rodeo, with tournaments featuring the top competitors in each event. "We had that in the '80s, and it really helped build a fan base for the sport. It also took the top-seeded players out of the general circuit competition, so that the hobbyist, or guy who could just ride on the weekends, could compete at his local rodeo and have a chance of winning," Camarillo explained. Senior tours and intercollegiate programs are other areas of potential growth, according to Camarillo. "We should pull in the strengths of the other sports," she said. "Use the best parts of NASCAR, the NFL, the PGA, to make our event grow." All four believe that technology and innovation put the Houston Rodeo above the rest, but Polhamus jokingly added, "I get lazy. You have replays, and you have Bob and sometimes Ty [Murray] to add their opinions. The first rodeo I do after Houston is the hardest one I do all year -- no replays, no Bob." Both Polhamus and Tallman, natives of Wisconsin and Nevada, respectively, started as rodeo contestants but realized that their real skills and longevity in the sport were in announcing. Wisconsin? "People need to study their geography," said Polhamus. "Wisconsin is a very agricultural state with lots of dairy cows. And where there's cows, there's cowboys." He competed in six rodeo events in high school and went to college on a rodeo scholarship where he started announcing "pretend" rodeos while the other guys were practicing. "I'd make up things like, 'If old so-and-so holds on to this bull like he held on to that girl at the bar last night, he'll score a 95!' The coaches heard me and asked me to announce for real. I guess they wanted to get something for their scholarship money!" Tallman participated in calf roping and team roping. He even tried saddle bronc riding by accident one time, when his horse was "spooked" by a windblown paper plate in the arena at a rodeo he was announcing from horseback. He landed badly and ended up in a wheelchair, from which he announced a miniature version of the Houston Rodeo for the World Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations. In great physical pain, he had to be lifted hydraulically -- wheelchair and all -- up to the announcer's stand, adding credence to his enthusiastic profession, "I wouldn't have missed that opportunity for anything!" Camarillo probably could explain Tallman's mental toughness and enthusiasm quite well. When not describing barrel racing to Houston Rodeo fans and interviewing winning cowboys, she teaches motivational skills and sports psychology to barrel racing hopefuls all around the country. Her barrel racing commentary is based on years of experience as a collegiate and professional barrel racing champion, and as a teacher. She keeps her enthusiasm during the grueling 20 performances at Houston and her busy schedule on the road during the rest of the year by pumping up herself and everyone around her. "We're all professionals, and we're a team. Houston gives us a chance to really showcase our sport. We get a chance to let people know that these athletes are personalities with families and feelings.
"It's also exciting to set an example for the women who will follow me in this relatively new field," she said. "There weren't any female mentors in announcing for me." "Each of the four announcers brings a unique perspective to what they do," said Dan Gattis, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo general manager. "The crowd and the contestants benefit from the diversity and the teamwork of our announcing team." One thing is for sure -- the tremendous heart behind the booming voices sets the Houston Rodeo apart from all the others. These four announcers have shown incredible dedication and love for rodeo beyond the call of duty.
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"We're dealing with human beings, and
they're part of my family. You don't get tired of doing things out of love
for your family," explained Bill Bailey, grand entry and calf scramble
announcer. Bailey knows the Show from the inside out -- he's a lifetime
vice president and a Steer Auction Committee member. He's been a Show member
for 38 years and a fan for a lot longer.
