RODEOHOUSTON Personnel
From being behind the scenes making sure that every cowboy and cowgirl has their number and performance schedule to being in the middle of the action retrieving a cowboy from the back of a still bucking bronc, there is a group of hardworking people that take part in each RODEOHOUSTON performance.
Personnel
Announcers
The voices of RODEOHOUSTON are the pulse of the Rodeo with distinctive voices, wit and continuous tidbits of information. With the best rodeo athletes competing at RODEOHOUSTON, it is only fitting that the Rodeo feature top announcers.
In 2008, Bob Tallman and Boyd Polhamus again team up for RODEOHOUSTON. Both talented and accomplished rodeo announcers, they have been the voice of many of the nation's top rodeos, including being the duo behind the microphones at the 2006 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Tallman has been a rodeo announcer for 32 years, is an eight-time PRCA announcer of the year, and is a member of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and National Cowboy Hall of Fame, and has portrayed a rodeo announcer in a motion picture.
Polhamus, who attended college on a rodeo scholarship, is one of the most accomplished announcers in the PRCA and has done voice-overs for two motion pictures.
As dignitaries flow through the grand entry and youngsters tackle calves in the Calf Scramble, it is the distinctive voice of Bill Bailey serving as a feature announcer. A member of the Show's board of directors and a lifetime vice president, when Bailey isn't lending his talents to the Show year-round, he serves as a Harris County Constable.
Pick-Up Men
Everyone needs a helping hand now and then, but cowboys rely on the pick-up men in the arena to help them out of tight spots. If the bronc rider makes it to the whistle, you can bet the first thing he sees is a man on a horse riding in to help him dismount without injury. The pick-up man's job is to aid the bronc rider in dismounting, while loosening rigging and helping the horse to find the out gate. Pick-up men are all-around cowboys who aid in every event by herding the cattle after roping, helping cowboys off broncs, or even roping a bull who is enjoying the spotlight out of the arena. These men help the rodeo run smoothly.
PICK-UP MEN
Chase Cervi - Roggan, Colo.
Scott McClain - Lyman, Neb.
Paul Petersen - Southland, Texas
Bullfighters and Barrelman
Even dressed as a clown, their job is no laughing matter. These daredevils can be the only thing between an angry bull and a cowboy. Without the barrelmen and bullfighters, a cowboy would have to face the challenge of riding, and dismounting, a thousand pound bull alone.The mission of every bullfighter is to divert the bull's attention away from the exiting rider by whatever means possible. If that means jumping on top of a leaping bull to free a rider's hand, or sprinting into the path of a charging bull, they put themselves at risk to prevent harm to others.Working from an open-ended barrel, the barrelman serves as a diversion for an angry bull. The crowd can get into the action when the bull is charging the barrel, but often times, the bullfighter has used the barrel as a distraction to allow escape time for a downed or injured rider.The bullfighters are an exciting part of all 20 RODEOHOUSTON performances.
The 2009 RODEOHOUSTON bullfighters are Clay Collins, Malakoff, Texas; Dusty Tuckness, Meeteetse, Wyo.; and Cory Wall, Burlington, Colo.. The barrelman is Leon Coffee, Blanco, Texas (PRCA Clown of the Year - 1983).
Judges
The success of rodeo cowboys depends not only on their skills and mastery of the sport, but also on the judges and their ability to make the right call. It is essential that rodeo judges perform their jobs with complete fairness and exceptional knowledge. A rodeo judge's day begins at least three hours before the performance. He and his judging staff look over all the livestock, seeing to it that all animals are healthy and fit to compete. Judges score the roughstock events on both the rider and the animal. The judges scores of 0 - 25 are combined for the contestant's total score. Judges also watch for any incident that would disqualify the rider, such as touching the animal with his free hand or "missing the mark" - failing to have his feet in position at the beginning of a bareback or saddle bronc ride. In timed events, judges ensure the fairness of each run by watching to see if the contestant breaks the barrier, which gives the calf or steer a head start. They also watch for anything that might call for disqualification, including improper catches. Penalty errors, such as only catching one hind leg in team roping, are also kept track of by judges. Judges are also flagmen, calling the end of the run and signaling the timer to mark the official time.
Following every rodeo performance, judges inspect all the livestock that was used and notify the event's veterinarian if any animal needs medical attention and/or treatment.
RODEOHOUSTON has six judges at each performance.
2009 RODEOHOUSTON Judges:
Marty Jandreau - Kennebec, S.D.
Steve Knowles - St. Cloud, Fla.
Paul Hughes - Olney Springs, Colo.
Cliff Overstreet - Weatherford, Texas
Lynn Smith - Idaho Falls, Idaho
Mike Todd - Round Rock, Texas
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™, P.O. Box 20070, Houston, Texas 77225-0070, 832.667.1000
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