'The Voice of the Rodeo'

MOSES LAKE — At one point in the night, he is the voice of gentle reason, like talking to that favorite uncle at the family reunion. But when the time is right, he can change gears and bring the high octane when the bull riders take center stage.

Anyway you slice it, arena announcer Will Rasmussen has been the Voice of the Moses Lake Roundup for close to 20 years. His calendar always has the third weekend in August circled from the get-go and he looks forward to when the rodeo trail swings north to the Pacific Northwest.

Rasmussen travels the country, making friends, making the call, living the life of a modern day cowboy, a little like Willie Nelson’s song, “On the Road Again.”

This year will be a little something special when the road comes through Moses Lake on Aug. 16-18. Rasmussen, who has been working the arena at Grant County Fairgrounds since 1999, will welcome Columbia Basin rodeo fans to the 75th annual Moses Lake Roundup.

“Seventy-five years of rodeo says a lot,” said Rasmussen. “It’s a big, family event and a huge accomplishment. To keep it going for all those years takes a lot of hard work. You know what? It’s all volunteers doing the work and they need to be rewarded.

“Hopefully, they will be by all the people coming out, showing their appreciation, and having fun with them. There needs to be a huge congratulations go out to the Columbia Basin Rodeo Association and the Moses Lake Roundup committee. I can’t wait to get there. It’s always a highlight of the summer.”

Anybody that’s ever lived out of a suitcase for any length of time knows there’s good and bad. But it’s the friendships he’s made along the way that make Moses Lake one of the best rodeos in the Northwest.

“What I love about going to rodeos, Moses Lake is a major stop, are the friends you have in every town or city that you go to,” he said. “I love my job, but I cherish the friends that I’ve made.

“Moses Lake makes it easy. Dave Heaverlo was the radio guy for years and a former Major League pitcher. The new president Stan Cafferty and Tyler Brown always made me feel welcome.

“(Director) Pat Stevens is a dear, dear friend of mine. We stay in touch all year long. He’s taken me out to look at his farm and how they get the crops from point A to B. Pat’s always been one of my favorites and he’s been there since I’ve been there. I cherish those moments as much as the rodeo itself.”

Long-time Moses Lake Roundup sponsor Bob Burress is helping the committee bring in rodeo comedian and barrelman JJ Harrison for the 75th annual Moses Lake Roundup. A lot people up and down the rodeo trail, will tell you Harrison and Rasmussen are two of the best in the business and when you get the two together, hang onto your horses because you never know what’s going to happen.

“I’ve worked with JJ quite a bit really. He’s a really smart guy and a good entertainer. He’s become a fan favorite there in Moses Lake,” Rasmussen recalled. “He does wing it and you never know what’s coming at you. But every once in awhile, I like to wing right back. It’s a good combination in what we have and I enjoy the spontaneity.”

No matter who’s winging what, Columbia Basin rodeo fans can expect the best of the best in the world for the 75th annual Moses Lake Roundup. From the world-class cowboys to the spectacular specialty acts, to the best comedian and bullfighters in the world, they’ll all be there.

And Will Rasmussen, the gentle voice of reason, will be there to help fans make sense of it all.

Rodney Harwood is a sports writer at the Columbia Basin Herald and can be reached at rharwood@columbiabasinherald.com.