But he wasn't actually there.
McSpadden, known as the Godfather of Rodeo Announcing, died last week at 82 after a long struggle with cancer.
Brad Harmon, the rodeo's chairman, started a tribute to the legendary announcer by playing a recording of McSpadden reciting "A Cowboy's Prayer," which McSpadden wrote years ago.
Moments earlier, Rob Smets of Texas talked passionately about how he and his announcing partner, 45-year-old Wayne Wise of Colorado, could never live up to the standards McSpadden created during his long years of work.
"We have awfully big shoes to fill," Smets said. "I don't know if we can get them filled, but hopefully we'll do a good enough job that everybody will be happy with. You're not going to fill McSpadden shoes. That's not going to happen."
Harmon, however, believes he has a great duo doing the announcing until Thursday, the last day of the annual rodeo in Salt Lake City. The chairman explained that Wise, who's in his third year, is good at his craft because of his professionalism and his years of experience.
Smets is a seven-time world champion bull fighter who was forced to retire after he broke his neck for the third time in 2006. "Back when I first fought bulls in the south in Louisiana, McSpadden was the first announcer I worked in front of in that part of the country," he said. Smets was only 19 back then.
Now 48 and in his second year of announcing, he makes sure he's well-prepared for a night standing in the dirt along with the working cowboys, having enough material in case things don't go as planned.
Usually, there are three announcers at the annual rodeo, but Harmon is sticking with just two this year.
"This year more as a tribute to Clem than anything, I left his spot empty and figured that we would fill that later," he said.
csun@sltrib.com
* On Monday night, officials at the Days of '47 pay tribute to legendary announcer Clem McSpadden, who died last week after a long battle with cancer. A recorded speech of McSpadden's plays through EnergySolutions Arena.
