Knudsen happy to share his voice for others on PRCA council

MANAWA, Wis. – Jesse Knudsen is more than a rodeo music director and announcer.

First and foremost, he’s a cowboy. Raised in central Wisconsin, Knudsen knew at an early age what it means to care for livestock. That’s the primary purpose of a cowboy, and it’s a lifelong trait he shares with many others.

After early years as a competitor, Knudsen has spent the last several on the production side of rodeo. It’s both a contest featuring incredible athleticism and a brand of entertainment for fans. That’s where his dual roles come into play, knowing the right words or the right music to go with the action that’s happening in the arena.

“Being involved in rodeo is such a great way to make a living,” said Knudsen, who still lives in Manawa. “I love the travel, the fellowship, a chance to be a witness for Christ throughout our travels. We’re in a different state every weekend, and you get to meet different people.”

It’s the best part of his job and always has been, but there’s much more to him than meets the eye. Several years ago, he was approached by an announcer to consider being the group’s representative on the Contract Personnel Executive Council. He ran for the post and began the first of his two-year terms. Since then, though, announcers and sound directors have continued to have Knudsen be their voice. He began his fifth term April 1.

“It means a lot that they value my opinion and that they believe in me to do battle for each and every one of them,” he said. “Yes, it’s a thankless job, but when guys each out to tell you ‘thank you,’ it means the world.

“It’s very humbling that those people believe enough in me to be their representative.”

It’s a necessary piece of the PRCA’s administrative efforts. Rodeo’s premier association is controlled by the board, which includes four representing contestants, two representing stock contractors, two representing rodeo committees and one for contract personnel. Knudsen shares his voice to the personnel director, Josh Edwards, who also hears from timers, clowns, bullfighters, specialty acts, laborers, secretaries, pickup men and photographers.

“The biggest phrase that everybody says to me is, ‘You communicate,’ ” Knudsen said. “The communication part is something I take pride in.”

Being the representative isn’t about his personal agenda or about just sharing his thoughts. It’s about being the voice of the majority. That’s why he fills all other announcers and sound directors in on the topics up for discussions.

“I think it’s about giving people a head’s up,” he said. “I want to let them know what’s going on, and sometimes there’s not a lot to communicate. Other times, there’s stuff going on that they need to know about. Those of us on the council don’t have a vote on the board, but Josh does. If there are situations we need to vote on, I poll the room and give Josh the vote we decided on.

“Ultimately, I have to put my feelings aside because those are the people that put me in that position, and I’m supposed to represent the group as a whole.”

It’s a vital cog that is the rodeo machine, just like every other aspect of the sport with which Knudsen has been involved. Being on the council is the next phase for the Wisconsin man, who has been involved in the sport since the day he was born.

“My dad was on the Little Britches of Wisconsin Board of Directors,” Knudsen said, who will begin his “summer run” of rodeos May 15 in Abbyville, Kansas. “He used to keep all the bucking bulls at our house during the winter. He was the flank man and kind of the ramrod, like livestock director.

“I was 8 years old the first time I actually got to enter an official rodeo.”

He rode bulls and bucking horses, even doing both at Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College. Once he turned his attention to ProRodeo, he focused more on bull riding.

“I was never really successful in bull riding,” he said. “I had to have reconstructive shoulder surgery twice in the matter of 358 days, so I transitioned to bullfighting.

“It was a lot of fun; I got hooked on the first one I fought. A little Mexican (fighting bull) hooked me, and I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to keep doing this.’ I was only going to do it to give my shoulder a break, but when you weren’t real successful at riding them and you’re getting paid every time you fought them, it was kind of a no-brainer to just stick with bullfighting.”

Rodeo is unique in that contestants only get paid when they beat most of the field, and they have to pay a fee in order to compete. Contract personnel are paid for the work, so the money was guaranteed, unlike his days on the backs of bulls.

It’s not the only thing he’s done in rodeo, though. Before he got into announcing and sound directing, he was a pickup man, a flank man, a laborer and even served as a judge at a couple of rodeos. Every post has influenced how he works today. That experience is why Knudsen is the man others want as their voice on the council.

“It’s quite an honor for me to represent these people,” Knudsen said. “I don’t take their trust in me for granted.”