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Mitch Pollock

Mitch Pollock – Winnemucca, Nev. ($99,542)
First-time WNFR qualifier

Mitch Pollock grew up in the ranching and mining community of Winnemucca, Nevada, with a family that wasn’t involved in rodeo.

That didn’t keep him from competing, it just wasn’t all in rodeo. He did a variety of events as a child in youth rodeo, then started playing baseball. In fact, he went to Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Oregon because of baseball.

Fate had a different idea. He injured his elbow, then started school at the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) where he thought he would walk onto the team. He had uncles that had ridden saddle bronc horses and one of them made saddles. He decided to give that a try, rode one horse and called the CSI assistant rodeo coach, NFR bareback qualifier Cody DeMers, and said he wanted to rodeo.

Rusty Wright was also going to school at the Twin Falls Institution and they became great friends. Mitch was 21 when he started riding bucking horses and took to it like a duck takes to water. He qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo three times.

He joined the PRCA in 2015 but didn’t travel hard or try to make the NFR until 2018. He finished the season in 31st place. When Rusty and his brother Ryder were looking for another traveling partner, Mitch’s name came up. Their father, Cody, took things into his own hands and called Mitch.

That phone call and traveling with the Wrights has made a huge difference in Mitch’s career. The storied family has given him advice and helped him with the nuances of saddle bronc riding. But more than anything they have helped him with his confidence. That’s gone a long way to his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification.

He was just outside the top 15 the end of July. Then he got a big win at the Caldwell Night Rodeo about two hours west of the college, and things started turning around. He moved to 13th in the world standings.

Mitch continued to win through the end of the regular season. He will start the NFR with $99,542 in 11th place. His biggest win of his life happened outside of the arena on Oct. 5th. There is now a Mrs. Mitch Pollock, Jordan, that will be cheering him on in Las Vegas.

Presented by Pendleton Whisky

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