(PRCA media release)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The contract personnel for the Dec. 6-15 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and the Nov. 2-3 Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping were announced Wednesday by the PRCA.
For the sixth straight year, two of the announcers for the Wrangler NFR remain the same. Randy Corley, of Silverdale, Wash., and Wayne Brooks, of Lampasas, Texas, will be on the microphone for the 10 nights in Las Vegas. They will be joined by announcer Roger Mooney, of Ellijay, Ga.
Corley, who was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017, will be making his 18th Wrangler NFR appearance, while it will be the eighth of Brooks’ career. Mooney will be announcing for the first time at the Wrangler NFR.
Livestock superintendent John Barnes, of Sutherland, Iowa, makes his 13th consecutive Wrangler NFR appearance. The chute bosses are Tony Amaral, of Marysville, Calif. (timed event) and Tom Neuens, of Powell, Wyo. (roughstock). Benje Bendele, of Dublin, Texas, is the music director.
Sunni Deb Backstrom, of Congress, Ariz., is the Wrangler NFR secretary, which marks the 13th year in a row she has been selected and the 16th overall. Dollie Riddle, of Vernon, Texas, is the assistant secretary.
Timer Jayme Pemberton, of Terrell, Texas, is making her third Wrangler NFR trip, and she is joined by Kim Sutton, of Onida, S.D., who is making her fourth trip to the Wrangler NFR. Toby Dunlavy, of Laramie, Wyo., also is one of the timers and will be making her first appearance at the Wrangler NFR.
At the NFSR at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., Charlie Throckmorton, of Grandview, Texas, and Jody Carper, of Jamul, Calif., will handle the announcing duties.
Throckmorton will be announcing the NFSR for the 18th year in a row, breaking the consecutive-appearance record of legendary announcer Clem McSpadden. Throckmorton also is announcing at the NFSR for the 19th time overall, tying McSpadden’s NFSR record. Carper is making his fourth appearance at the NFSR, and his first since 2015.
Chute boss John Gwatney, of Marquez, Texas, is back for his ninth-consecutive trip, and the arena usher is Butch Braden, of Welch, Okla. Secretary Sandy Gwatney, John’s wife, is making her fifth appearance at the NFSR, all in a row.
Timer Tammy Braden, Butch’s wife, will be joined by Shelly Baumann, of Maypearl, Texas, who is making her second appearance at the NFSR. Jill Franzen Loden, of Riverton, Wyo., is back as the music director for the fourth time.
