Canterbury Park: Hermann to become first female to announce complete card

SHAKOPEE, Minn. – On Sept. 7 at Canterbury Park, Angela Hermann will do something that no other woman in North America has ever done: announce an entire Thoroughbred race card.

Victoria Shaw is a full time race caller in Australia and Hayley Moore is in training to be England’s first female race caller, but there has ever been a woman in North America that has called an entire day of racing. On July 5, Los Angeles sportscaster Kristine Leahy became the first woman to call a race in California when she guested at Hollywood Park. Local columnist Rachel Blount and local Fox sportscaster Dawn Mitchell each have guest called a race at Canterbury in years past, but Hermann will be the first to take on an entire card as the official track announcer.

Hermann, 27, is Canterbury Park’s paddock analyst. She will take over the microphone from regular announcer Paul Allen, who is the radio voice of the Minnesota Vikings. Allen will be in Detroit for opening weekend of the NFL season opening, which gives Hermann an opportunity to announce Canterbury’s races.

“This was something I was always interested in doing but never thought that it would actually happen,” said Hermann. “Paul and I talked it over and we thought this would be a great opportunity to do something a little different.”

Hermann is not going into the booth unprepared. She has been working with Allen during the meet and has already called more than a dozen individual races at the meet in preparation.