story by Lily Weinacht
Branden Edwards wears several hats in the rodeo world, from CPRA vice president, to team roper and rodeo announcer. Yet before his voice carried over the sod and grass of rodeos and fairgrounds, it was serenading audiences in Seattle, where Branden worked as an actor, performer, and singer for several years after college. “I have a degree in vocal music with an emphasis in opera and vocal performance,” says the 32-year-old from Grand Junction, Colorado, who grew up rodeoing. “I didn’t make a great living, which is why I moved back to Colorado, but I did get to do some really cool shows and work with a lot of amazing professionals in that industry. But you can’t replace the rodeo crowd, and if I wasn’t going to be performing, there was no place like Colorado for me.”
His art and ease in front of a crowd found a new medium when Branden was asked by several of his friends to announce a roping they were producing in Grand Junction. “The roping was too low-numbered for me to enter, and out of good-natured fun, they asked if I would announce it. It’s been an amazing roller coaster ride ever since. The opportunity to combine that enjoyment of music and performance, and getting to educate fans about a sport I really love is a dream come true. I kind of like being in the driver’s seat as far as being an announcer, pulling the crowd in on one side and really talking guys up. It’s the greatest way to combine every positive aspect there is about rodeo.”
While Branden grew up rodeoing, the roughstock chutes held little charm for him, and his biggest challenge as an announcer was educating himself about the roughstock side of rodeo in order to showcase it properly. “Having to really and truly educate myself as to the nuances of that side of the sport was very challenging, and very fun. I talked to a lot of people, and I went to the announcer’s school in Fort Worth that Chad Nicholson puts on. Derek Barton kind of apprenticed me into the Snowmass Rodeo Series, and Bob and Brandy Edmonds, Randy Lewis, and Clayton Everhart have all been phenomenal.”
With 50 performances scheduled so far for the year, such as the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo Series and the Snowmass Rodeo, Branden can still work within just a few hours of home. “With these weekly rodeos, I can make it back to the house every night and still see my family. They don’t have to pack up and be on the road every night, but when we do, it’s even more fun.” Branden and his wife, Tia Jo, have a 7-month-old son, Grady, who already has his first rodeos under his belt, including the 2017 CPRA finals. Branden roped with his dad, Kent Edwards, at the finals. Kent was a CPRA board member and vice president for a number of years, and Tia Jo has also competed in the association. She’s even announced the slack at rodeos where Branden is both entered and announcing. “I’m very intrigued to see where it (announcing) will go,” says Branden. “Rodeo has been so good to me, and I’ve so many good memories and met so many great friends in it that there’s no way I’d dream of not passing that down to my kids.”
Beyond the announcer’s stand, Branden has worked in his family’s oil field company for more than 15 years. He also enjoys riding and training young horses, and helps with the roping during Flat Tops Cowboy Church Rodeo Bible Camp. “It’s one of those really cool areas where the next generation gets to come and learn from people with amazing talent, who are stewards of their faith and their sport,” says Branden. “I would love within the next five years to feel comfortable buying a pro card as an announcer. And I would love to earn the right to possibly announce the CPRA finals, because the association has meant a lot to me, and it’s a really great place to showcase the homegrown talent Colorado has to offer.”
