Hollister native a straight shooter

Eddie Kutz last lived in Hollister 30 years ago, but he’s still fond of his roots.
A third-generation Hollister native, Kutz now resides in Arroyo Grande in San Luis Obispo County, where he works as a sales rep for Righetti Specialties Inc. Of course, Kutz is probably more well known for his broadcasting career, as he spends a couple of months on the road every year doing rodeo announcing.
The 66-year-old was at the San Benito County Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo two weeks ago, providing interesting insights and witty comments as the track announcer.
“I’ve been attending that event since 1962 or ’63, and I thought this year’s show certainly hit on all cylinders,” Kutz said. “It’s unique in that they try to keep the show as original as possible when it was established in 1929. A lot of the directors of the show have the same insight and goals to achieve the true vaquero style in Hollister. As you can tell with the way the business of rodeo has changed, they’re still trying to keep the same traditions that existed in 1929 and carry it over to 2014.”
Kutz got his start in announcing on a lark. At the 1981 Santa Barbara Fiesta, Kutz was doing his best imitation of Bob Tallman, who is widely regarded as the best announcer in rodeo history. The next thing Kutz knew, he was being asked to give broadcasting a try.
Shortly thereafter, Kutz got his announcer’s card and started doing color analyst duties at different venues across the nation.
“Before that, I never had a thought or inkling of being an announcer,” he said.
Although an announcer has to possess the gift of gab, Kutz said preparation is equally if not more important in the profession. Depending on the event, Kutz spends two hours in a pre-production meeting before prepping for several more hours on the background of each competitor.
Although few things can beat riding for an adrenaline rush, Kutz said being an announcer elicits a powerful dose of euphoria.
“When I do a show, it takes a day or two to come down from the adrenaline rush,” said Kutz, who is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and made spot appearances in Cowboy Up (2001) and Eight Seconds (1994).
“I get very small residuals every once in a while, but I don’t think they’re enough to pay my union dues,” Kutz said with a laugh.
Kutz graduated from Palma High and Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in 1971 before going on the Pro Rodeo Tour Cowboys Association, where he competed in bull riding and saddle bronc riding. Kutz was good enough to make five California circuit finals before a knee injury pretty much ended his competitive riding days.
Despite his love for riding, Kutz wasn’t raised in the cowboy lifestyle. He only got started in the sport after being told he was too small to play football.
“That broke my heart, because all of the kids wanted to play back then,” he said.
The setback, while painful at first, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. One day, while playing baseball on Hollister’s Little League team, Kutz asked one of his teammates, pitcher Larry Mondo, if there was anything else he could do.
“You ever ride steers and calves?” Mondo asked.
“Of course I never had, but eventually I learned how to dress like a cowboy and do everything,” Kutz said. “So it just goes to show where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Kutz still has a brother and multiple cousins living in Hollister, so he never feels too far away from his birthplace.