Cinch personality is able to share rodeo passion through announcing

Anthony Lucia grew up in rodeo, the son of one of the best-known entertainers in the sport’s history. His raising taught the youngest son of Tommy Lucia the importance of timing and preparation.

From 2010-13, Anthony Lucia trick-roped in Las Vegas during National Finals Rodeo each December. A second-generation entertainer, he took to it well. It fit his personality. He would be in the arena mere minutes a night, but it was everything he had hoped it would be. He had plenty of time through each day to get ready and made sure he was prepared to put on a show every night.

In the years since, Lucia has traded in his rope for a microphone and is one of the rising announcers in ProRodeo. A Cinch endorsee, his personality shines just as it did a decade ago. The main difference? He has zero free time. He is sought-after, and during the 10 days of ProRodeo’s grand finale in Sin City, he can be found all over town doing what he loves.

“This year is going to be unbelievably awesome and busy,” said Lucia, who lives near Weatherford, Texas, with his wife of five years, Lisa, the 2017 Miss Rodeo America. “Between my talk show, Live with Lucia, every day at 10:30 (a.m.) on The Cowboy Channel main stage at Cowboy Christmas, then the breakaway finals is going to happen the first Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Then Thursday starts and even busier time with the BFO World Championships, then every night I’ll be at the Thomas & Mack (Center) doing PRCA Insider stuff for PRCA social media channels, the Resistol Rookie of the Year banquet and the Golden Circle of Champions celebration. It is the greatest and busiest 10 days of the entire year.”

Lucia has earned a schedule like this. He’s been nominated as PRCA Announcer of the Year each of the last two years and has increased his annual workload by a lot. He estimates that he called the action at 130 performances during the 2023 regular season. More than a third of his calendar was spent behind the microphone, and that doesn’t include the number of hours he spends doing his homework.

Whether it’s making sure fans have the greatest experience possible while sitting in the stands at a rodeo or knowing everything he can about a guest for his Las Vegas talk show, Lucia hones in on the details necessary to be one of the best. It’s why this December, his will be one of the featured voices at the National Finals Breakaway Roping for the second time in three years.

“It’s really exciting to be able to be part of crowning a world champion that week in Las Vegas and getting to do it with Will Rasmussen,” Lucia said. “It’s like a big-time, full-circle moment for me, because I grew up listening to Will. I’ve been friends with him and his family as long as I can remember. His kids and I always hung out whenever my dad worked the Sanky rodeos, so it’s so special that I get to work with a living legend like Will.”

 Lucia is becoming a legend himself. His familiarity with the players and his understanding of production prove his versatility and his merit. Just as Tommy Lucia earned his place in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs and the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Anthony Lucia deserves to have his name mentioned with other elite announcers. In 2022 and 2023, he is nominated with Rasmussen, Wayne Brooks, Bob Tallman, and Garrett Yerigan, another Cinch newcomer who has been named PRCA Announcer of the Year each of the past two seasons.

“Just merely to be on the same list as Bob, Wayne, Will and Garrett is unbelievable,” Anthony Lucia said. “It’s an incredible feeling, because my dad taught me to work hard and give it everything you’ve got every performance. Doing your best for the rodeo you’re working and for the fans is how you win in this business.

“It’s not necessarily about awards or accolades; it’s about making a living doing some thing you love while growing the sport. When I got the call last year to tell me I was nominated, I was literally crying.”

Those happy tears say a lot about the man and also express the passion with which he practices his craft.

“I am unapologetically myself,” he said. “I went all in on the announcing in the fall of 2020; before that, I was doing so much television stuff and broadcasting and different things like that, so it’s mind-blowing to see what God has been able to do in my career. It means a little bit more now that announcing is solely how I provide for my family, and I’ve been able to get more opportunities to go to rodeos and announce them.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I’m going to keep going and enjoy every second of it.”

Lucia grew up with a rope in his hand. As a youngster, he got into doing tricks with ropes as a way to keep boredom at bay, and all that time helped him develop into one of the top acts in the business. Rodeo is unique in the way that it is both a world-class competition and a brand of entertainment. He has been on both ends of the spectrum.

While also doing acts, Lucia was a competitor. He loves to team rope, but he understands now that focusing on one aspect of his life might be the best move. While there was a multi-talented attribute that helped him function, there’s something else that is making him stand out in a field of incredible announcers.

“(Fellow announcer) Boyd Polhamus told me a long time ago, ‘At some point, you’re going to have to take one of those things and go all-in with it,’ and at the time I didn’t understand it,” Lucia said. “Now, I do. I’m thankful that announcing is that one that has come to the forefront and that I went all in with it, because it’s been a pretty neat ride.”

That jaunt has included his bride, a rodeo ambassador and a major part of his life. While Lisa Lucia is quite capable of caring for herself, he finds not only comfort but also joy in what they are building together.

“Providing a life for her that she deserves is so amazing beyond what I could have imagined,” he said. “To think about another person as opposed to just myself was the greatest thing. Learning to be humble in marriage has helped me be humble in life. When you go in with a humble heart, it sure does make things a lot easier.”

There are many facets to Anthony Lucia’s life. He’s a cowboy, an entertainer, a majestic voice and a rodeo personality. He’s also a husband, a son and a brother to people who know rodeo inside and out. They have defined him and helped Lucia set himself apart in a field of great talent and passion.

“My family’s legacy has held me to a higher standard,” Lucia said. “I’m representing more than just myself and how I handle myself, how I handle my business, the level of expectancy that I have for myself at my job. It all comes from the level of success that my dad and my brother (Tommy Joe Lucia) have in our business.

“There aren’t a lot of things that impress my family. That keeps humility very easy to attain. Sure, you want to celebrate that you’ve been nominated for an award, but the other day I was digging around my shop and found a box of my dad’s, and there were about 20 of them in there. It just puts things in perspective, knowing that I’m carrying on the legacy of what my dad started with nothing from being a kid on the streets in Minneapolis to being a hall-of-famer.”

Lucia is living his own rodeo dreams and carrying on a family legacy at the same time.