DAYTON - Boyd Polhamus's love of rodeo has grown since he was a small boy.

Riding junior steers and junior bulls as a youth has translated into a career as a national rodeo announcer, which started for the Texas native in 1985.

Nearly 20 years later, Polhamus rides his flea-bit-grey Quarter-horse Rolex around the rodeo ring with a wireless microphone introducing competitors from coast to coast.

For the past four years, the Dayton Labor Day Rodeo has been one of Polhamus and Rolex's stops.

"Binion (Cervi) in Cervi Rodeo Company asked me to come and announce since I work the Fort Madison rodeo the following weekend," Polhamus said of his first year in Dayton.

The award-winning announcer initially said no, until Cervi wore him down.

"I finally said OK," Polhamus said. "And I haven't left."

Part of Polhamus's hesitation may have come from the fact that he's on the road nearly 300 days of the year. Living in his Bloomer Horse Trailer with a living quarters, Polhamus logs upwards of 35,000 miles of road time in an average year.

But it's all for love of the sport.

"I'm a huge fan of the rodeo," Polhamus said, "if I wasn't announcing I'd be paying $15 sitting in the front row. But instead of paying, I get the best seat in the house to watch the players."

Not only does Polhamus get to see some of the best riders in the nation up close, he also gets to know them on a personal level.

Polhamus sees some athletes, like Boxholm native Wade Sundell, throughout the year. Others, who are circuit-specific - competitors who only ride in rodeos close to their home - he sees when he's in certain regions. Either way, their stories and faces become permanently etched in Polhamus's memory.

"Through the contest line-up I research each rider to find out their story," Polhamus said.

For example, Wade Sundell hails from Boxholm and is a saddle bronco rider. After he qualified for the Dodge National Circuit in April, his grandfather passed away before the Super Bowl competition of the rodeo world.

Sundell won - and after he did, he accepted the victory in his grandfather's memory. Polhamus said each and every rider has a compelling story like that, and he tries to bring that personal touch for each competitor.

"That's just one story I have in my repertoire of what I can tell you about Wade Sundell," Polhamus said. "After awhile I start to recognize who the athletes are and their stories."

Perhaps it is this commitment to give each athlete his or her due that has caught the attention of the rodeo community. Polhamus has been nominated for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's Announcer of the Year award four times, winning the title in 2007. He also announced for the top 50 rodeos in the PRCA circuit since 1985 including the Dodge National Circuit twice.

But those awards are never on the forefront of Polhamus's mind when he gets ready for his next rodeo.

"It's all about the people," Polhamus said. "That's one of the main reasons I do my job. It's not for the glory; it's the great people I get to work with."

Dayton is no exception.

"The people here are pretty cool," Polhamus said. "The crowd is always a great one to work with here, and they should be excited because Dayton has a great rodeo here. They shouldn't be excited because of me."

Once again, Polhamus and Rolex will be in the best seats of the house working the crowd and enjoying every minute of it.

"There are numerous things I could do for a living," Polhamus said. "But none of them could be as much fun as this. I've never worked a day in my life."

Contact Lindsey Ory at (515) 573-2141 or lindsey@messengernews.net