For Ty McClary, life has always been about stepping into the arena—and sometimes, literally. From rodeo grounds in West Texas to Hollywood movie sets and auction rings across the country, Ty has worn a lot of hats: cowboy, actor, pickup man, pedigree announcer and television host. But if you ask him, the greatest roles he’s ever played are husband, father and voice for the Western way of life.
“I’ve been super blessed,” Ty told WLJ, “to be part of a lot of different things—from rodeo to cattle to film. But it all ties back to one thing: I’ve always tried to do what I love, work hard and trust the Lord to open the next door.”
Texas roots and Hollywood
Born in Abilene, TX, Ty grew up steeped in ranching and junior rodeo. Though his family members weren’t large-scale ranch owners, they worked leased land and ran commercial cattle. “It wasn’t fancy,” he said, “but we made it work, and I learned a lot just being around cattle and horses.”
But life took a detour when Ty was just six years old. Encouraged by Hall of Fame rodeo announcer Bob Tallman, he began auditioning for commercials and movie roles.
For nearly a decade, Ty chased casting calls, with more rejections than roles. “I must’ve heard ‘no’ a thousand times,” he said. “But I never really let it crush me.” At age 14, ready to walk away, his agent offered one more audition—for a cowboy kid in “D2: The Mighty Ducks.” He got the part.
“That movie opened doors I never imagined,” Ty says. “It wasn’t just the role. It was a reminder: don’t give up right before the miracle.”
That success led him west to California, where he juggled life as an actor and rodeo competitor for nearly a decade.
“I always took my horses with me,” Ty said. “If I wasn’t on a set, I was at a rodeo—roping, steer wrestling or working as a pickup man.”
It was in California that he met Christie, a Southern California native. The two married in 2005 and made the pivotal decision to leave the coast and return to Ty’s roots in Texas. “Southern California was just so expensive,” he said. “We knew we wanted to start our life where family was close and where it felt like home.”
They settled in Valley View, a small town north of Fort Worth, and started building a life.
Transition to TV
Ty’s transition from the rodeo arena to the auction ring wasn’t planned, but it turned out to be providential. Around 2007, shortly after moving back to Texas, a friend introduced him to the car auction business. “I started working the ring at car auctions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” Ty recalled. “It was completely new to me, but I was eager to learn.”
That curiosity soon led him to livestock and horse sales, where his natural presence, voice and rodeo background gave him an edge. “It snowballed from there,” he said. “I started working cow sales, then got asked to read pedigrees at performance horse and racehorse auctions. It just kept growing.”
Ty’s early auction work eventually opened doors in the broadcast industry. Ty made the transition to the front of the TV camera, first with RFD-TV’s Cinch High School Rodeo Tour and now as an on-air talent for The Cowboy Channel.
No matter if he’s introducing a world champion steer wrestler or a high school breakaway rookie, Ty brings the same energy. “Whether I’m interviewing a high school rodeo champ or a rancher marketing cattle, my job is to help them share their story,” he said. “That’s what I love—giving people a voice.”
Faith and family
Behind the busy travel and multi-hyphenate career lies a deep faith that has guided Ty through every chapter. “There’s no question the Lord has put me in the right place at the right time over and over,” he said. “Even when I didn’t realize it at the time.”
Now, 20 years into their marriage, Ty and Christie are raising their 14-year-old daughter, Marley, in the same Western tradition. Marley’s recently taken a shine to breakaway roping, and Christie—who once worked as a hairdresser—is now a sales rep for several Western clothing companies and ropes more than Ty these days.
“She gets to rope while I’m on the road,” he said with a laugh. “But I love that my daughter’s starting to enjoy it too. It’s a good way of life.”
Through it all, Ty’s message remains simple: stay grounded, keep learning and don’t be afraid to try something new.
“I’ve always tried to learn from the people around me,” he said. “Whether it was Trevor Brazile when we were kids, or some of the best pickup men at the NFR, or the great auctioneers I’ve worked with—every job, every sale, every rodeo has taught me something.”
He knows that not every day is easy, and not every job is glamorous. However, he has found contentment in his work and joy in its purpose.
“I don’t care if I’m reading pedigrees, working the ring or talking rodeo on The Cowboy Channel,” Ty said. “I’m just thankful I get to be part of this way of life. I feel really blessed.”
And if he could tell his younger self anything?
“Don’t give up,” Ty said. “No matter what you’re doing—ranching, raising a family, reading pedigrees—give it your all. Trust God, work hard and try to have a little fun along the way.”
Because for Ty, it’s never just been about the job—it’s about the life. And it’s a life he wouldn’t trade for anything. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
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