story by Lily Weinacht
Ty Miller announced his second consecutive AFR this September, even giving up the opportunity to compete in AFR 38 in the team roping so he could be the voice of the rodeo. The 19-year-old from Newville, Pa., is the second generation of his family to compete, but Ty is the first to step beyond the roping box and help produce a rodeo.
Ty’s dad rode bulls before he started tie-down roping, and his mom showed hunt seat horses, while Ty’s own rodeo career in tie-down and team roping has won him two saddles, more than 30 buckles, and the PHSRA state team roping title in 2012. He and his family made the 36 hour trip to the NHSFR in Rock Springs, Wyo., little knowing that Ty would return to the Cowboy State again in 2014 to announce more than 50 performances of the Cody Nite Rodeo.
It all began in 2013 when Ty and one of his uncles were roping the dummy in the Miller’s backyard. “We were playing around and we found this blow horn in the barn and started announcing for each other,” says Ty. “We were just goofing around, but my uncle told me I should announce rodeos and get in contact with Greg Simas.” Ty was able to shadow the pro rodeo announcer and learn the ropes from him before Greg helped him start his summer of announcing in Cody, Wyo. for Mo Betta Rodeo Company. Ty was the second youngest announcer in the history of the Cody Nite Rodeo. “After that, I came back east and announced the AFR 37,” says Ty. “Then Shawn Graham with Painted Pony Rodeo Company picked me up and I started announcing for him.”
During Ty’s Fourth of July run for Cowboy Christmas, he drove more than 25 hours to rodeos all over the Northeast. This summer, he went as far north as Maine, also travelling south as far as Virginia. “I competed in some of the bigger APRA rodeos like Benton and North Washington, and co-announcing at Lake Luzerne this summer with Roger Mooney was a highlight of my career.”
In addition to shadowing announcers like Greg Simas and Roger Mooney, Ty listens to videos of other announcers such as Boyd Polhamus, Wayne Brooks, and Bob Tallman. “I think the hardest part of my job is having the weight and responsibility on your shoulders of putting on a performance,” says Ty. “It can get stressful. I announced AFR 38 on horseback, but depending on the rodeo, I’m on foot in the arena or up in the announcer’s stand. My sister, Taylor, runs music and sound for me. If she can’t come, I’ll play music and announce, but I get spoiled when I just get to announce.” Taylor, 15, competes in breakaway roping and goat tying in the PHSRA, but the highlight of her summer was playing music for Roger Mooney in Plymouth, Pa.
Ty continues to team rope, his heel horse, Cinch, travelling with him to many of the rodeos he announces. Ty filled his PRCA permit this year and qualified for the First Frontier Circuit Finals in January, a rodeo that he hopes to announce within the next few years, though he plans to be in the arena for the finals this time. While he makes his home in Newville with his parents, Ty is moving south to either Georgia or Florida this winter with his roping partner, Robby Erck, in search of more rodeos to announce and compete in.
“I want to go as far as announcing will take me,” Ty finishes. “Hopefully I’ll announce the NFR down the road, but for now I’m just taking it one step at a time!”
