Just like any sport, rodeo needs a commentator to keep things moving smoothly. Whether it be a hometown rodeo or a big-time event broadcasted on the Cowboy Channel, someone needs to commentate on the happenings in the arena for the sake of both the spectators and the contestants.
Rodeo announcers fill this crucial role, guiding the competitors and entertaining the fans with their larger-than-life voices. Historically, the job of rodeo announcer has fallen to amateurs and professionals alike, from rodeo parents and siblings at junior rodeos to certified mainstays like famous announcer Bob Tallman. As rodeo grows as a sport, however, the number of professional rodeo announcers continues to increase, and so does appreciation for their indispensable craft. I had the privilege to interview four rodeo announcers for this article, and their stories paint a fascinating picture of what it is like to be a voice of rodeo.
Mack Ginn (pictured above) is a Mississippi native who found his way to the microphone in his thirties. He grew up on a soybean farm, and while his family did own around a hundred cows, they did not use horses to work them. Mack bought himself his first horse when he was thirty and soonhad his heart stolen by the sport of rodeo. When asked about his origins as an announcer, he says, “I literally fell in love with rodeo, and I wasn’t afraid to speak in front of people, so I thought, ‘You know, I think I can talk about this…’” In 2014, he attended a seminar in Fort Worth, Texas, hosted by announcer Chad Nicholson, and within that same year, Mack went on to announce five PCA rodeos and many local barrel races. Since then, he has announced a truckload of rodeos, including the Southeastern Professional Rodeo Association Finals, the National Little Britches Finals, the Wojo’s Circuit Finals, and the Mississippi High School Finals. Mack says his favorite rodeo he has ever announced is undoubtedly the Angola Prison Rodeo in Louisiana; this famous event has been going on since 1965. Mack announced it in both April and October of 2024, and he has already been asked to return in April 2025. When it comes to advice for aspiring rodeo announcers, Mack says to “find a mentor… find somebody that has been there and done that…”
Seth Roy was twenty when he first started announcing to help his mother run a local barrel racing association. By 2018, he had his own business as a rodeo announcer, and since then, he has announced at The American Rodeo seven times, received the 2021 Announcer of the Year title in the Louisiana Rodeo Cowboys Association, and announced the National Little Britches Finals. He has announced countless rodeos and barrel races as well as ropings, bull ridings, hog dog trial championships, and AQHA events; he says singling out his favorite event is impossible! When asked what advice he would give to up-and-coming announcers, Seth says, “...be prepared to be patient… I would tell them to be good to people, not just people that can do things for their career, but all people. It costs nothing to be a good human.” Seth says that all he wants in life is to give the events he announces what they need, provide for his family, and honor God through it all.
Young Case Wininger is a thirteen-year-old rising star who has already announced several major barrel races. He says he has attended barrel races his entire life and has always adored announcing; his parents even have a video of him pretending to announce when he was just three years old! He announced his very first race at the Bethel Road Saddle Club in 2020 and cites announcers Pat Freels, Garrett Yerigan, Tucker Reece, Wesley Haley, Lenell Dean, and Allen Moorehead as his influences and mentors. Case’s first big break came in 2021 at the NBHA Tennessee State Show when he was nine, and in October of 2024, he announced the pee wee class at the prestigious Quarter Horse Congress; he says Todd Adair helped him land the job. Case’s success extends beyond the announcer’s stand as well—he is also an accomplished barrel racer who recently won the 2024 NBHA Youth World Championship. He says being a barrel racer himself helps him be a better announcer, and he says that in the future, he would love to announce events like The American Rodeo, NBHA Open and Youth World, the AQHA Congress Sweepstakes, and the Pink and Ruby Buckle barrel races. Case wants to thank everyone who has supported and mentored him, and he hopes to have a career as one of rodeo’s voices!
Garrett Yerigan, who has become one of rodeo’s leading announcers, first picked up the microphone when he was around six years old. He announced barrel races and steer wrestlings that his parents were attending, and from there he graduated to bigger and bigger events in what he describes as a “snowball effect.” Garrett has now been named PRCA Announcer of the Year twice in addition to being the 2019 IPRA Announcer of the Year and the 2024 WPRA Announcer of the Year. He says his top five favorite events he has ever announced are the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, The Governor’s Cup Rodeo, the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, The American Rodeo, and Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo. His advice to future announcers is: “Be yourself, work hard, and be nice to people. It’s a long road so you must be perseverant and put in time to hone the craft. It’s well worth the grind.”
When asked what they did to maintain their showy voices, all four announcers answered that staying hydrated was key. They mentioned drinking water mixed with honey as well, and Mack Ginn says he schedules himself an appointment with an ENT specialist twice a year. As far as living arrangements while on the road, answers varied: Seth Roy describes himself as a “hotel hopper,” while Garrett Yerigan and Mack Ginn bring their living quarters trailers to most events. When it comes to sound equipment, Mack typically runs his own sound and music, while Seth provides a microphone, computer, and cabling. The events Garrett works at hire an audio company to supply sound equipment, but he says he did have to bring his own equipment early in his career. Across the board, it seems that most rodeo announcers do have to supply their own sound equipment, which consists of things like microphones, speakers, mixers, computers, cables, etc. They are also sometimes responsible for music. Case Wininger says that Garrett Yerigan downloaded his sports pro sound system for him, and he says that announcer Lenell Dean helps him find new songs for his playlists; he even reports that announcer Allen Moorehead gave him his first microphone! Such camaraderie within the industry certainly helps new announcers find their footing, ensuring that the next generation of rodeo announcers can rise up in this rapidly expanding profession. As more and more individuals find their way to the microphone, the future seems as bright as arena lights for the voices of rodeo.
