The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 2025 (NFR 2025) returns to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas from December 4–13, 2025, marking the 40th anniversary of the NFR in Las Vegas. Along with the top 15 contestants in each event, the PRCA contract personnel will shape how the rodeo looks, sounds and feels for fans in the arena and watching on The Cowboy Channel and Cowboy Channel+.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) has now announced the core contract personnel for NFR 2025, including announcers, secretaries, timers, music directors, specialty acts, barrelman and pickup men. Here’s a breakdown of who’s calling the shots and why these names matter for rodeo fans.
Why NFR 2025 Contract Personnel Matter to Fans
Most headlines focus on world title races, but the NFR contract personnel are just as critical to the experience:
- Announcers guide fans through every ride and run, tell the stories and keep the energy up.
- Bullfighters, barrelman and pickup men protect cowboys and manage stock between and during rides.
- Secretaries & timers make sure the times, scores and payouts are accurate and official.
- Music directors & specialty acts control the atmosphere inside the arena.
If you care about how NFR 2025 will sound on TV, feel in the building, and flow from chute to chute, this crew is a big part of the story.
NFR 2025 Announcers: Voices of the Thomas & Mack
The PRCA has named three primary announcers for NFR 2025:
- Wayne Brooks
- Roger Mooney
- Anthony Lucia
All three are well-known to ProRodeo fans:
- Wayne Brooks is making his 13th NFR appearance behind the microphone. He’s a past PRCA Announcer of the Year and one of the most familiar voices in modern ProRodeo.
- Roger Mooney is back for his 9th NFR appearance. He’s known for his smooth, informative style and ability to switch from high drama to humor in a heartbeat.
- Anthony Lucia, the 2023 and 2024 PRCA Announcer of the Year, makes his NFR debut as an arena announcer in 2025. Fans know him from major rodeos across the country and NFR-related media.
Special 40th Anniversary Appearance: Bob Tallman
To celebrate the 40th Las Vegas NFR, the PRCA has also added a special voice:
Bob Tallman, ProRodeo Hall of Famer and legendary NFR announcer, will serve as the special announcer for the 40th anniversary year. He’s one of the most recognizable voices in rodeo history and has been part of the NFR story for decades.
For TV viewers and fans streaming NFR 2025 live, this combination of Brooks, Mooney, Lucia and Tallman means a deep blend of history, storytelling and modern broadcast energy.
Behind the Chutes: Livestock & Arena Management Team
While the cameras focus on rides and runs, the livestock and arena management crew makes sure NFR 2025 runs safely and efficiently every night.
- Livestock Superintendent: John Barnes – returns for his 20th consecutive Wrangler NFR appearance.
- Assistant Livestock Superintendent: Terry Autrey
- Saddle Horse Boss: Raina Hudson
This team coordinates the stock in and out of the arena, manages pens and sorting, and works closely with pickup men, judges and contractors. Their work keeps the performance moving and ensures the right horse or bull is under the right cowboy at the right time.
NFR 2025 Secretaries & Timers
All of the money and world titles on the line at NFR 2025 depend on precise paperwork and timing. For this year’s Finals, the PRCA has selected:
- NFR Secretary: Sunni Deb Backstrom – marking her 20th straight year as NFR secretary.
- Assistant Secretary: Jennie Murray
The timing crew for NFR 2025 includes:
- Vicki Pack – first NFR appearance as a timer.
- Kris Fleener – second appearance.
- Nancy Dorenkamp – third appearance.
They handle official times in all the timed events, verify results and help make sure the NFR 2025 payout and standings are correct at the end of every round.
Music & Specialty Acts at NFR 2025
From the first pyrotechnics of the opening to the last salute at the gold buckle ceremony, the sound and show inside the Thomas & Mack Center are controlled by the production and entertainment crew.
- Music Director: Brad Narducci
- Assistant Music Director: Josh Hilton
They will build the NFR 2025 soundtrack – walk-up songs, run-out music, victory laps and the dramatic builds before the rankest bulls and broncs.
The PRCA has also announced three specialty acts scheduled to perform during NFR 2025:
- Tomas Garcilazo – world-famous for his charro roping and horsemanship.
- Rider & Bethany Kiesner – trick riding and Roman riding specialists.
- Haley Proctor – known for her trick riding and high-energy arena performances.
These acts appear between events and during breaks, keeping the pace high and the crowd engaged while the arena resets.
Barrelman & Pickup Men: Keeping Cowboys Safe
The bull riding and roughstock events at NFR 2025 depend heavily on a talented set of contract personnel whose job is literally to protect cowboys and manage stock after each ride.
NFR 2025 Barrelman
For NFR 2025, the barrelman and rodeo clown role is handled by:
- Barrelman: John Harrison
Harrison is a multi-time PRCA award winner and one of the most in-demand barrelmen in the sport. He combines comedy, crowd interaction and arena awareness to help keep bull riders safe when things go wrong and keep fans laughing between outs.
NFR 2025 Pickup Men
The PRCA has also announced the pickup men for the 2025 Wrangler NFR:
- Chase Cervi
- Josh Edwards
- Tyler Kraft
- Matt Twitchell
These pickup men help bareback and saddle bronc riders dismount safely, clear stock from the arena quickly and step in whenever a cowboy needs help on the ground. For viewers, they’re often the “quiet heroes” you see racing in after an 8-second ride.
Bullfighters at NFR 2025
Bullfighters are some of the most important contract personnel at NFR 2025. After each bull ride, they step between the bull and the rider, drawing attention away and helping the cowboy get out of the arena safely.
The PRCA first named a group of bullfighter finalists for NFR 2025, including:
- Nathan Jestes
- Logan Blasdell
- Dusty Tuckness
- Nathan Harp
- Cody Webster
Subsequent PRCA social media updates have confirmed that multiple-time Bullfighter of the Year Dusty Tuckness and current Bullfighter of the Year Cody Webster are among the bullfighters selected to work the 2025 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The final trio and any alternates come from this elite group of finalists.
For fans searching “NFR 2025 bullfighters,” these are the names to know — they will be the ones putting themselves between the rankest bulls in ProRodeo and the cowboys chasing gold buckles.
What This Means for NFR 2025 Fans & TV Viewers
Whether you’re planning to be inside the Thomas & Mack Center or watching the NFR 2025 live stream on The Cowboy Channel and Cowboy Channel+, the contract personnel will shape your experience every night:
- Announcers will explain the stakes, share backstories and bring drama to world title races.
- Bullfighters, barrelman and pickup men will keep riders safe and the action flowing.
- Secretaries, timers and production staff will make sure payouts, scores and replays are right.
- Music directors and specialty acts will keep the energy up from the first bareback horse to the last bull.
As the 40th anniversary NFR in Las Vegas, 2025 is already historic. With this lineup of NFR 2025 contract personnel, fans can expect a polished production, world-class safety crew and one of the most exciting rodeos ever staged under the bright lights of Las Vegas.