Bud Townsend was born in Nocona, Texas, raised on a ranch, and began riding steers, bulls, and bucking horses at age 14. In 1946, at age 16, Bud announced his first rodeo at Ringgold, Texas. In 1948, he joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association; his original card number was #1249.
During his announcing career that lasted 50 years, Bud announced rodeos from Walla Walla, Washington, in the Northwest to Brownsville, Texas, in the Southwest, and from the State Fair of North Carolina on the east coast to the State Fair of California on the West Coast.
In addition to hundreds of professional rodeos, Bud was a pioneer announcer for National Intercollegiate Rodeos at Texas A&I University, Hardin Simmons University, Eastern New Mexico University, Texas Tech University, West Texas A&M University, New Mexico Military Institute, and others.
Bud announced several rodeos in Texas that were then called “All Colored Rodeos,” where some of the best Black cowboys in Texas competed. He also announced some of the first all-girl rodeos such as the one held at the State Fair Of Texas, the all-girl rodeos at Osage Beach, Missouri, and the all-girl rodeo at the Cowgirl Hall Of Fame Rodeo in Hereford, Texas.
Even while rodeoing, Bud attended several colleges and earned a Ph.D. at the University Of Wisconsin in Madison.
In 1975, he won a Grammy Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences for his work on the Bob Wills biography, San Antonio Rose: The Life and Music Of Bob Wills. Also, in 1975, Bud was awarded a Wrangler Award by the National Cowboy Hall Of Fame and Western Heritage Center for “Outstanding Contribution To Western Music.” In 2003, he received the “All-Around Cowboy Award” from the National Cowboy Culture Association for a half-century of work in Western Life which includes 50 years of rodeo announcing; writing in Western Music; and 27 years teaching at West Texas A&M University.
Bud and his wife of 58 years, Mary, live in Canyon, Texas, have three children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
