Boyd Polhamus has big boots to fill as general manager of National Finals Rodeo
Boyd Polhamus is a large man. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 260 pounds, he appears more steer wrestler than rodeo announcer possessing a voice that can fill an arena. And good thing Polhamus casts a long shadow.
He’s got some large boots to fill. Polhamus is taking over as the general manager of the National Finals Rodeo, the biggest and richest spectacle in professional rodeo.
Across 10 brightly lit nights, some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the world chase world titles and career-changing money.
And come December, the reins of the NFR will be in Polhamus’ strong hands.
He takes over for Prorodeo Hall of Famer Shawn Davis, who has been the NFR general manager since 1986.
It was Davis who cast the deciding vote to move the NFR from Oklahoma City to the untested desert of Las Vegas. Since the move, the NFR has become Las Vegas’ hottest ticket every December with sold-out crowds at the Thomas & Mack Center and crowded casinos hosting watch parties.
“You have to remember, there was no rodeo when the NFR got here,” said Polhamus during a visit at last December’s NFR. “Shawn Davis built this truck from the ground up. He built the chassis, he built the motor, he put on the wheels and put on the paint ... everything.
“My job is to learn how to drive it and maybe add a few accessories.”
Polhamus, of Brenham, Texas, is sitting in a chair in the production room. The start of the NFR’S eighth round is still four hours away, but Polhamus has been up since 5 a.m. with his work day starting not long after.
The transition from Davis to Polhamus is part of a three-year plan. Polhamus, a long-time rodeo announcer, began shadowing Davis in 2017 and again in 2018 to gather the information necessary to run the PRCA’S most important event.
Davis will serve as a consultant for 2019.
“In truth, I didn’t know what the job entailed,” said Polhamus, who laughs often about his new situation. “It did take me awhile to understand all the entities involved. I wouldn’t wish this on anybody.”
Polhamus is familiar with the NFR. He’s been selected to work 21 NFRS during his announcing career and four times selected the PRCA Announcer of the Year. He worked the PRCA NILE in Billings, Mont., during the late 1990s and early 2000s and has worked most major rodeos, along with the College National Finals Rodeo.
“I miss the announcing of the NFR,” Polhamus said. “I miss all the subplots, all the storylines.”
And even with his new NFR duties, he plans to continue announcing.