KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Outlaws host their first home stand this weekend at Kansas City, Missouri’s T-Mobile Center.
PBR formed the Outlaws and seven other teams as part of a new format for the professional bull riding circuit.
The Outlaws won one game and lost one during the new team series’ first competition last weekend in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Each PBR team is comprised of about 10 riders, five of whom ride in each “game.”
Judges add up the scores from each rider — the team with the highest score wins. Riders only earn points if they stay on the bull for eight seconds.
All eight teams will be in Kansas City this weekend, facing a new opponent Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
This spring, the Outlaws drafted Tate Pollmeier, 18, of Fort Scott, Kansas, to ride on the team.
Pollmeier is a three-time Kansas state high school bull riding champion and two-time International Finals Youth Rodeo bull riding champion.
His father was a professional bull rider and his older brother is currently a professional bull rider on a separate circuit, the PRCA.
The family breeds bucking bulls on its ranch about 90 minutes south of Kansas City.
“Bull riding and rodeo, that’s what I’ve always liked and was the most fun for me,” Pollmeier said.
The professional said competing on the PBR tour at T-Mobile Center has been one of his dreams, and he’s going to do his best to remain calm during the games this weekend. His focus is already on the chutes.
On Friday, Pollmeier will ride a bull named Cherry Bomb, who got the best of him in Cheyenne.
“This time, there will be a different outcome,” Pollmeier said confidently.
He described bull riding like dancing, moving in rhythm with the bull. Like some people are scared to dance, he said bull riding generates fear.
“Some of them (bulls) will be a little angry, a little mean,” Pollmeier said. “The fear is always there. It’s life or death, you don’t know what could happen. But it becomes muscle memory once you do it long enough.”
Praying has become habit for Pollmeier’s mom, Jamie, who will be watching this weekend’s games inside the arena.
“Tate is an easy-going kid, he doesn't let things bother him too much,” Jamie said. “He hides it (nervousness) pretty well. I think he's just learned to channel those emotions and get ready for the job he has to do.”
The team format means Pollmeier’s job impacts how the entire team performs. He has embraced that component of the new PBR series in a sport that is historically individual.
Smithville, Missouri, native Koltin Hevalow is also competing for the Outlaws this weekend.
The team plays the Arizona Ridge Riders Friday, the Nashville Stampede Saturday and the Missouri Thunder Sunday.
Tickets to this weekend’s games are available for purchase online.
The team is hosting an “Outlaw Days” street festival outside the T-Mobile Center beginning at noon Saturday. It will feature concerts by David Nail at 1:30 p.m., David Lee Murphy at 3:00 p.m. and Josh Abbott Band at 4:45 p.m.
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