ProRodeo Sports News - August 18, 2023

XTREME BULLS LOVINGTON, N.M.

Memorable

BY BRADY RENCK, Special to ProRodeo Sports News T o some degree we are all a product of where we come from. For the Pollmeier family of Fort Scott, Kan., that is definitely no bull. Rider Coy Pollmeier, younger brother Tate and father Mark are all connected by the stock. “We bond over it, and it’s pretty darn strong. My dad raises bucking bulls. We have an arena behind the house where we can ride them. I really enjoy being around them,” Coy said. “And Tate has his foot in the door now. He’s 19. And he’s looking to buy his rookie card next season, and we could travel together.” Only 23, Pollmeier has plenty of experiences and stories to tell. First, riding professionally is not for the meek. Competing against the best requires talent, poise, and resilience. He is continuing to gain traction in his career, progress that became more evident after his biggest win to date. Pollmeier claimed the top prize at the Lea County PRCA Rodeo Xtreme Bulls in Lovington, N.M., Aug. 8, delivering a score of 177 points on two head at Jake McClure Arena. It left him shaking his head. “I still don’t really know how to take it all in,” Pollmeier said. “To get one of these Division 1 Xtreme Bull buckles, it’s something I have been eyeing since I was 18 years old. It’s a lot to take in. I had won a Division 2 Xtreme Bulls in Rapid City, (S.D.), but nothing like this. My plans for the buckle? To keep it on my belt.” Pollmeier won the 150th Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee, Fla., earlier this year as he has climbed into the sport’s top 50. But nothing like what transpired in New Mexico. Pollmeier celebrated his birthday with a memorable performance. Going against a stacked field, Pollmeier posted a 91-point trip on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s Ground Assault, netting $4,035 for the ride and $5,605 for the average. “I didn’t personally know much about him. One of my buddies had been on him earlier in the year and he told me to stay aggressive and keep hustling. He left pretty hard and had me stuck in my hand. It was a little bit of a give and take,” Pollmeier said. “There were points it felt like a dance and a fight.” Pollmeier won last year around his birthday as well, claiming the top prize at the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo in Abilene, Kan., with his mom and dad in attendance. “I don’t know about the connection to my birthday,” he said with a laugh. “I would like to be winning more year-round.” This season remains part of Pollmeier’s climb to reach his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He’s unlikely to crack the Top 15 this year given how little remains on the schedule, but he is proving to himself he belongs. This is a sport he dreamed about competing in since he was a boy. He began riding calves at 8, then graduated to bulls where he became a high school state champion. Now, he’s inching toward the sport’s biggest stage in Las Vegas, which no longer seems as far away from the family arena near his house. “I always watched the PBR growing up. I turned my eyes to the PRCA and those yellow bucking chutes,” he said. “This is a big qualification for me. I might not be able to get into the Top 15 this year, it’s a little late. But I dang sure want to keep getting these qualifications for those winter events.” Pollmeier wins his first Division 1 Xtreme Bulls event in Lovington

Peggy Gander photos Coy Pollmeier had a 91-point ride on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s Ground Assault to clinch the victory at the Lea County PRCA Rodeo Xtreme Bulls in Lovington, N.M.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/18/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 8/18/2023

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