For decades, Tallman has changed how rodeo sounded and felt. Now, the legendary rodeo announcer is handing the microphone over in Fort Worth.
The final night of the 2026 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo was different. There were champions to crown, but also there was a legend behind the mic worth honoring. The arena paused to honor that man whose voice has shaped generations of rodeo fans.
Bob Tallman is not retiring from rodeo, but 2026 marked the final year his voice will be heard in Dickies arena in Fort Worth.
After more than 50 years of involvement with the event, Tallman is passing the microphone to Anthony Lucia and Garrett Yerigan. He will continue announcing rodeos across the country, but for Fort Worth, this was the closing of a chapter.
Tallman, who now resides in Poolville, Texas, is far more than a rodeo announcer. He is a Hall of Fame voice, a real estate agent, a charity organizer and, alongside his wife Kristen, the owner of 3T Angus. He will tell you family and faith come first, and there are now two generations following in his footsteps.
To rodeo fans, he is the voice of the sport. He has a way of telling stories that keep fans and contestants engaged and excited for every part of the show.
When Tallman began announcing, rodeo was often introduced in a straightforward way with the contestants name and hometown and then their score or time. He changed that. He brought storytelling into the annoucning booth. He painted pictures with words, giving fans context, history and emotion. Contestants were not just numbers on a leaderboard but they were characters in a larger story and season.
That shift elevated the experience inside the arena and for those watching at home on the Cowboy Channel in more recent years.
The story that got him into annoucning makes perfect sense if you know the quick wit Mr. Tallman has. While competing at a rodeo in 1969, he says that he a stock contractor that the announcer that day was not doing a very good job. The word he chose was "pitiful." The contractor’s response was simple, "Well then, do it yourself." Tallman took matters into his own hands and did just that. He was paid $100 for that first performance and then realized quickly that announcing might be a more stable future than competing anyways.
That moment launched a career that has now spanned 57 years. Tallman loves what he does, and has since he began. He understands that the contestants in the arena are real people doing everyday life, trying to make a living in the dirt. He tells those stories better than anyone.
He went on to announce the National Finals Rodeo more times than anyone in history. He collected 12 PRCA Announcer of the Year honors and was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2004. Bob received the Legend of ProRodeo Award in 2020. His name appears in the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.
On Championship Saturday Night in Fort Worth, those accolades mattered, but what mattered more was the tone in the building.
During the tribute, Tallman recognized the people who helped shape his journey. He spoke with gratitude as he grew emotional. He did what he has always done best, told a story.
For decades, Tallman has changed the way rodeo sounds. He made fans feel connected and gave contestants moments that felt bigger. He gave television audiences something to remember.
Garrett Yerigan said, "In our world today, the term 'icon,' 'legend' and 'GOAT' get thrown around way too easily," Yerigan said. "But tonight, we want to pay tribute to a gentleman that embodies each of those monikers and so much more. He is the man that truly has made the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo legendary. Tonight, we say thank you to our friend, our father, our grandfather, Bob Tallman."
The crowd rose to their feet to recognize 50 years of greatness with a mic in his hand. Contestants who won the 2026 Fort Worth title also recognized the night as something bigger than just their win.
Bareback riding champion Tilden Hooper in his winning interview said, "When Bob Tallman is up on the mic for the last time in Fort Worth you rear back and send it. Thank you friend."
Fort Worth will sound different next year, but Tallman’s influence won’t fade with the silence of one microphone. It lives in the way rodeo is introduced, the way stories are told and the standard he set for everyone who steps behind the booth.
The voice may shift but the impact won’t. Thank you Bobby T for everything you have done for our sport.