ProRodeo Sports News - June 11, 2021

Pollock racks up miles to win Cave Creek Long Driver BY JOLEE JORDAN, Special to ProRodeo Sports News S addle bronc rider Mitch Pollock earned more than $3,000 during Memorial Day weekend. But he definitely had to work for it. Traveling with Jack Bentz and Luke Logan, Pollock started CAVE CREEK RODEO DAYS CAVE CREEK, ARIZ.

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TOP MONEY WINNER Josh Frost ($4,052, bull riding) BAREBACK RIDING

the weekend at Cave Creek, Ariz., on Friday night, May 28, headed to an Xtreme Broncs event in Havre, Mont., and finished up in Coulee City, Wash., before heading home to Twin Falls, Idaho. “We drove the whole thing ... We made a big circle, 3,500 miles,” Pollock laughed. The miles flew by after placing at Havre and Coulee City and winning the rodeo in Cave Creek with an 85.5-point ride on the Cervi Brothers’ Uh Oh Greeley Hat Works. “That’s a young horse who had only been bucked one other time, that was last year in Yuma, Colo. Kolby Wanchuk got bucked off, so I had a pretty good idea that he was going to be a good horse,” Pollock said. “He came out and circled to the right and we got it done.” Pollock competed on the opening night of Cave Creek Rodeo Days. “I had to hold my breath the entire weekend. It seemed like forever,” Pollock joked about hoping his score held up. His Memorial Day winnings brought his total for May to nearly $7,000. He’s 19th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with just under $16,000 in the bank. “I went down to Texas for the winter rodeos and went to as many as I could,” he said. “Then, things were opening back up in the Northwest this spring, and now, when I look in the Business Journal , things look like they’re back to normal.” His strategy for the long rodeo season is simple. “I’m trying to win a little at every rodeo,” Pollock said. “So far, it’s been working this year.” Pollock and his crew will continue racking up the miles as summer hits full stride. “We’re going to be real busy,” he said. “We’ve got 25 rodeos between now and the end of June. And then it really gets going. We won’t be spending much time at home.” Almost as challenging as chasing a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo berth is working to qualify for the RAMWilderness Circuit Finals Rodeo, another goal for Pollock. The circuit is notoriously tough in the saddle bronc riding with the Wright family and NFR cowboys like Pollock, Allen Boore and CoBurn Bradshaw calling the circuit home. “If you can place in the top five in our circuit, that almost pushes you into the NFR right there,” Pollock said. “I placed at Lake Havasu (Ariz.) so I already have a little won in the circuit, so that helps.” Pollock’s lone trip to the NFR came in 2019. He finished 31st last year during the challenging COVID-shortened season. “Every year, the first goal is the NFR, and then once you’ve taken care of that, the gold buckle is the next goal,” he said. Pollock is determined to ride in Las Vegas again and already has a plan to improve upon his first performance in the City of Lights. “I’m not shaving my mustache,” he laughed. Pollock is known almost as much for his famous facial hair as his riding style. “I shaved it right before the Finals last time, and I had a terrible Finals, so I’m not doing that again!”

Frost

1. Clayton Biglow .................... 81.5 pts. 2. Logan Patterson ............................ 81 3. Garrett Shadbolt ............................ 80 STEER WRESTLING 1. Payden McIntyre ................... 3.9 sec. (Tie) Luke Branquinho .................. 3.9 3. Four tied at ................................... 4.1 TEAM ROPING 1. M. Calmelat/T. Brown ............ 4.6 sec. 2. D. Begay/C. Todd .......................... 5.1 3. T. Richards/N. Sarchett ................ 5.2 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Mitch Pollock ...................... 85.5 pts. 2. Creighton Curley ........................ 84.5 3. Layton Green ................................. 84 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. John Douch .......................... 8.9 sec. 2. Ryle Smith ................................... 9.4 (Tie) Rooster Yazzie ..................... 9.4 STEER ROPING 1. Bryce Davis ................. 51.6 sec. on 3 2. Taylor Santos ..................... 26.4 on 2 3. Neal Wood .................................. 27.9 BULL RIDING 1. Josh Frost .............................. 90 pts. 2. Evan Betony .................................. 87 No Other Qualified Rides

Complete results/Page 42

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ProRodeo Sports News 6/11/2021

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