Dodge City Roundup Rodeo to add announcer

The sounds of Dodge City Roundup Rodeo are changing.

For the first time in nearly two decades, the biggest rodeo in Kansas will add a second announcer to compliment veteran emcee Boyd Polhamus. The Roundup will add the soothing sounds of Andy Seiler to this year’s event, set for July 30 to Aug. 3, at Roundup Arena; Dodge City Xtreme Bulls is set for July 29.

“I’ve been talking to people all spring about that rodeo, and everybody has said, ‘You are going to love that rodeo,’ ” Seiler said, who has worked closely with Polhamus at several events over the years, including RodeoHouston, one of the largest regular-season events in the sport. “They told me that it doesn’t matter if Dodge City is hot, if it’s raining, if it’s muddy or if it’s gorgeous, everybody just loves the feel of the event.”

“The audience there is atypical of a lot of other rodeos because you can’t buffalo them. They know good action when they see it. They know good contestants when they see them. There’s a lot of great history in that arena, and it’s great that they have a stock contractor like Frontier (Rodeo), because you need a 92-point ride on Gun Fire in the short round to make those people pay attention; they’ve seen it all.”

They’ll hear it all this year. With Polhamus horseback in the arena and Seiler in the announcer’s stand, every piece of the action will be covered, and fans can expect that for six nights of competition. It will sound a bit nostalgic, back to the days when Polhamus first began in Dodge City and co-announced with Clem McSpadden.

“Boyd has endeared himself to me in a lot of different ways,” Seiler said, who lives in Ocala, Florida, with his wife, Lauren, and their two children. “The great thing about getting to work with him is we are complete and total opposites. I’m not going to say I haven’t picked up on a few of his mannerisms because we’ve worked so much together, but when he’s talking or I’m talking, you know who it is.”

“We’re different people, and our voices are different, and I think that’s why we work so well together. More often than not, I’m the straight guy, and Boyd is Boyd. He’s not afraid to poke the bear, and I enjoy that he’s not afraid to agitate folks a little bit. I’m the guy with the corny dad jokes, so those differences are what makes us a great team.”

That’s why the volunteer committee that produces the annual event made the change. The Roundup, which was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2012, has a strong legacy. It also has a history with some of rodeo’s greatest announcers, including McSpadden and Phil Gardenhire, both of whom are also in the Colorado Springs hall.

What makes the best announcers stand out is the ability to call the incredible action while also entertaining and educating the audience. Not everyone attending the Roundup Rodeo understands the intricacies of the game, so teaching them about the animals’ head start and the judging system is helpful. Polhamus and Seiler do it in a way that is still enlightening to longtime rodeo fans.

“In my opinion, the people in the stands need to have fun, because they’re the ones paying to see the rodeo,” Seiler said. “Now, there are times when the competition supersedes entertainment. As an announcer, you have to be paying attention to know what the audience needs.

“We may need to do a sing-along or do something to keep the crowd engaged, keep them from looking down at their phones. We just need to do what it takes to keep the fan engaged, entertained and informed.”

It’s a big change for the crowds that have pack Roundup Arena over the years. Polhamus has been the lone voice of the rodeo since 2008, but this is a great opportunity to expand on the value the event brings to the community and to the region. It’s a chance to build on the next generation of fans who want to experience the marquee event of southwest Kansas.

The Roundup is one of just a few rodeos in the country that features a championship round. The format features different sets of contestants each day. All timed-event cowboys and cowgirls will make their first-round runs in the morning. The top times will advance to that evening’s performance.

From there, the contestants with the top 12 cumulative times on two runs will advance to Sunday’s short round. For roughstock cowboys, the top 12 scores from their first-round rides will qualify for the finale. The champions will be crowned on the final night.

“I wish every rodeo could have the back-to-back runs every day like that,” Seiler said. “The best people need to be in the performance. The fact that you have to qualify to be in the performance, I think it makes people pay more attention to slack (during the day).

“You always hear people say that the cream rises to the top. Well, you totally get the cream in Dodge City, because you’ve got to qualify even for the performance. It’s one of my favorite formats in professional rodeo.”