News Story - Idaho State Journal

POCATELLO - Holding a microphone in his left hand, Hal Coburn twisted his head in all directions, alternating glances at a steer wrestler in the arena below him and at an index card in his right hand.

Barely pausing for breath, Coburn boomed his baritone voice across the Bannock County Fairgrounds, not once allowing silence to creep into the arena.

''Folks, get your mojo on!'' Coburn bellowed. ''Next up, we've got Moj Broadie, the mojo man. Help him out! Hoot and holler for the Moj!''

Moments later, as the last steer wrestler of the Idaho High School Finals Rodeo exited the arena, Coburn charged to the opposite corner of the announcer's box. He rattled off names of sponsors and upcoming goat-tying cowgirls, all while crumpling the steer wrestling lineup and flinging it behind him.

As he does between 80 and 100 rodeos every summer, Coburn's mission as this week's state rodeo announcer is to ward off dull moments. The District 2 announcer doesn't quite know what he'll banter about at each rodeo, but he somehow finds enough to say from the time fans start trickling in to the last bull rider's go each night.

''I'll tell you what, he's gifted,'' said Larry Axtell, Coburn's volunteer assistant. ''He makes it look really easy.''

Coburn started announcing at rodeos about five years ago, and he instantly realized he had a knack for filling dead time with constant chatter.

It was no wonder. Wherever Coburn and Axtell traveled for rodeos, Coburn seemed to strike up conversations with strangers. Talking to them over a microphone was just an extension of his gregarious personality.

All he needed for his newfound hobby was a constant stream of topics to talk about. And if he can't find anything interesting to say about a cowboy, he has no problem making something up, as he has shown a knack for doing this week.

''Years and years of watching Jay Leno,'' Coburn said how he came up with his solution. ''Oh, I don't know. Whatever comes to my mind. It comes from years and years of experience and watching TV.''

Coburn's task also became easier the more he got to know his District 2 cowboys and cowgirls.

Three years ago, he first met Rim Rock cowgirl Sierra Ridley and found out she liked Tootsie Rolls. He subsequently began calling her ''Tootsie Roll Ridley'' at rodeos, a nickname that delighted her parents.

''He brings a personal touch to it, instead of just reading off things,'' said Ramona Ridley, Sierra's mother. ''He gets to know our kids on a personal level.''

Coburn takes his task seriously enough that he listens to as many different radio stations as he can to pick up on which tunes high schoolers are currently listening to.

Sure, Coburn plays a steady stream of Toby Keith and Tim McGraw to appease the parents in the stands. But he also makes sure the cowboys and cowgirls are bull dogging and pole bending to songs that fire them up, whatever those may be.

For instance, Sierra Ridley likes barrel racing to ''Stacy's Mom,'' a Fountains of Wayne hit, a routine that Coburn has learned by heart.

''It keeps us young,'' District 3 rodeo secretary Janice Thurman said of his mixes. ''And it makes the kids feel really special.''

But it's no easy task. As the penultimate night of the state rodeo progressed Friday, the jumble of paper on the counter top in front of Coburn grew increasingly shuffled, and the balls of crushed-up lineups started piling up behind him.

Coburn peered past wires, CD cases and bottles of water at the notes jotted along the margins of the remaining sheets of paper before him. He was looking for that one more tidbit of information with which to keep the fans occupied.

''It's not funny; you know what a standup comic goes through,'' Coburn said. ''From the start until the last bull rider goes, it's just non-stop.''

This document was originally published online on Saturday, June 14, 2008

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Michael Coburn wrote on Jun 14, 2008 3:32 PM:

" Go DAD!!! "

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