What makes Festival Western de St-Tite feel different from almost any other rodeo?

It isn’t just the livestock, the contestants, or the crowd.

It’s the way the entire show moves.

In Episode #200 of Beyond the Chutes, Doug Simcox and Sam Swearingen wrap up their three-part St-Tite series with two of the voices behind the rodeo: Stephan Mesquita and Stéphan Daoust.

They take us behind the microphones and into a production operation that includes roughly 15 to 16 people working sound, lighting, video, replays, information, rodeo operations, production, and music — all communicating in real time while the rodeo unfolds just feet away.

We talk about how announcers prepare, how they read a ride in seconds, how they help spectators understand what they’re watching, and why their job is abou ...