Bull riders eyeing Prairie Circuit title

DUNCAN, Okla. – When it comes to a gladiator-like event in rodeo, nothing gets closer than bull riding. Cowboys weighing close to 150 pounds will test their mettle on bulls 10 times or more than their body size. It's a game of man vs. beast, athletes all. The bulls have the advantage, of course, because they can torque their bodies in unseemly ways because of the prowess and power they possess, but the men who ride them are pretty savvy, too. The battle of the bulls to decide the regional champion will come down to the final three days of the season during the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo, set for , at the Stephens County Arena in Duncan. "I've qualified for the circuit finals twice, but I just never had any luck," said J.R. Stratford, 22, of Byers, Kansas. "This year the circuit has treated me a lot better." That's true. The championship in southern Oklahoma features the top 12 contestants in each event, and they are cowboys and cowgirls from – and who competed at rodeos – primarily the Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska region. Stratford won 16 rodeos, and most of those were events in which the money counted not only for the world standings but also were included on the Prairie Circuit's money list. Stratford finished the year with $24,536 in regional earnings and leads the pack heading into the finale. He owns a lead of just less than $2,000 over another Kansan, Coy Pollmeier of Fort Scott. "I was pretty fortunate to get some pretty big wins in the circuit this year," said Pollmeier, 24, who scored victories in Abilene, Kansas; Hill City, Kansas; and Claremore, Oklahoma. "That was really helpful just toward my standings and to keep me going. Some days it's like you get lucky because there are not as many other guys actually riding their bulls, so the payout is better." Bull riding is the only event in which ground money counts toward the standings. If a rodeo pays the top six spots but only three cowboys ride their bulls, the total dollars of the final three payouts are combined and spread out to the trio of men who stayed on. Claremore, for example, was slated to pay eight spots, but only Pollmeier and two other cowboys collected the cash. That's also what will make the circuit championship so intriguing next week. While Stratford and Pollmeier are on the top steps of the standings, a handful of others could make a significant move in Duncan. "Looking down that list of bull riders, all of them on any given day can win rodeos and make good rides," Stratford said. "It's cool to see the talent we've got coming this year. The bulls are going to be great, and it's only going to take one round to square this thing up. It's going to come down to whoever rides the best and has the best finals. "I think I'd rather have it that way. That keeps you sharp and wanting to do your job correctly, so I'm looking forward to it. It'll be a riding contest." The season has been very similar. Colton Byrum of Mound City, Kansas, sits third in the standings with a little more than $19,000; that's some heavy lifting among the leaders through the rigors of the year-long campaign. On the national stage, Pollmeier finished the regular season 35th in the world standings. That secures him some qualifications for the big, winter rodeos starting in January and continuing through April. "After last year going into the winter rodeos, I felt like I was able to handle myself a little bit better with the high-pressure situations," he said. "I was able to appreciate them and being able to be there. I felt like it showed this year that I was able to mature over the last two years, and it felt a lot better." Consistency is important. The bulls win most of the time, so cowboys look to increase their riding percentages. That's how they build their resumes. Stratford, who qualified for the 2022 National Finals Rodeo, finished the 2024 regular season 19th, just four spots removed from advancing to the grand finale again. The money earned at the circuit finals not only decides the year-end champion, those dollars also count toward the 2025 world standings. "It's a huge bonus that the circuit finals gets to count for next year, so I'm going to go ahead and try to get a jump on the season," Stratford said. "My goal is set on winning the circuit, and I've never done that. I'd like to get it done this year."