Entertainment Highlights:
Announcers:
BOB TALLMAN
In 1978, a new announcer with a flair for excitement in his voice replaced the
long-time Stampede announcer Cy Taillon. In contrast to Taillon's dignified
tones, Bob Tallman yelled and hollered along with the crowd and brought a whole
new style into the announcing business. Except for a few years when he was
out due to injuries or conflicts, Tallman has been at the stampede microphone
since that time.
He has since become the most honored announcer in all of rodeo, winning pro rodeo's
announcer of the year award a record six times and announcing the National Finals
Rodeo a record 20 years. His distinctive voice and genuine enthusiasm are unequaled
in professional rodeo.
Today, Tallman announces more than 180 rodeos each year, including many of the
largest events sanctioned by the PRCA. He also works on many television broadcasts.
When he's not on t.v. or announcing at a rodeo, Tallman raises cattle
and is running a successful program for breeding bucking bulls. He and his wife,
Kristen, live in Poolville, Texas
BOYD POLHAMUS
Bob has been a part of the Stampede
family since 1994. Twenty years ago, Polhamus announced a College
Rodeo in Uvalde, Texas. He got the job by pretending to be a
rodeo announcer in his college's practice arena at the
same time he was competing as a contestant. The pretending ended
in October of 1985 and a career was born.
No one, not even Polhamus, could have imagined what the next two decades would
bring. His resume now includes eleven stints as an announcer at the Wrangler
National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Only Hall of Famers Bob Tallman and the late
Cy Taillon have been selected that many times. He has been the alternate announcer
at the WNFR four times. Palhamus considers this job to be the pinnacle of his
profession and he reached it in 1991 at the age of 26 when he was selected to
call the play at his first Wranger NFR. Besides the Wrangler NFR, Polhamus
has taken his talents to such rodeos as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo,
the American Royal in Kansas City, MO., the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo
in Denver, and the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque, NM.
He has been nominated nine times for the PRCA Announcer of the Year. Polhamus
and his wife, Sandee, live in Brenham, Texas.
Stampede Announcer Wins Top Award
One of the highlights of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association convention, held every December in Las Vegas, in the awards banquet. It is there that professional rodeo honors its best from bullfighters, to stock contractors to rodeos to announcers. Last December, an 11-time nominee had given up ever winning the award and was the most surprised person of the evening when his name was called. Long time Snake River Stampede announcer Boyd Polhamus, the sentimental favorite of the night won the coveted award of Announcer of the Year. He was easily the most emotional recipient of the evening.
“I’m just kind of floating,” the choked up Polhamus said, regarding his win. “After being nominated 10 times, I had decided they weren’t ever going to give me the award so it was a big surprise. One of the reasons it seemed he was continually passed over was his best friend and fellow announcer Bob Tallman. During the years that Polhamus was nominated in the past, the older and more established Tallman won the award seven times.
“I honestly think Bob was the happiest person in the room to see me win the award,” Polhamus said. “I have always felt that, probably save ProRodeo Hall of Fame induction, Announcer of the Year was the most rewarding one that anybody could get. You don’t win it, it’s given to you and it’s given by your peers. It’s probably the most meaningful thing that’s happened to me in the 22 years I’ve announced.
Polhamus will be back on the microphone at the Stampede this year for the 14th year in a row. He first came to the Stampede in 1994 when the rodeo was still held outdoors.
He has announced the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 11 years, second only to Tallman who has announced it 20 times. They share the duties at the super bowl of rodeo just as they do at Nampa.
The 40-year-old Polhamus is married and runs a few head of cattle on his ranch in Texas. |
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