Oklahoma State University Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Director of Operations
- Email:
- Phone:
- (405) 744-7433
   Kate Pollard enters her tenth season as the Director of Operations for Oklahoma State Equestrian. In this role, she works closely with the head coach to manage all internal aspects of the program. Her primary responsibilities include overseeing day-to-day administrative operations, coordinating staff and team travel, organizing recruit visits, and serving as the show manager for all home meets.
Prior to arriving in Stillwater, Pollard spent six years with the Kansas State equestrian program in multiple capacities. She served as a graduate assistant for three years and an assistant coach for two before transitioning into the director of operations role during the team's final season. At K-State, her comprehensive administrative and operational duties included managing team travel, budgeting, and home competition logistics. She also oversaw horse care, managed student employees, and coordinated routine and emergency veterinary services alongside the barn manager.
A native of Bismarck, North Dakota, Pollard grew up in El Paso, Texas, where she developed a lifelong passion for sports and horses. She went on to a highly decorated collegiate riding career at New Mexico State University, where she was a multi-discipline standout in both horsemanship and reining.
During her freshman campaign, Pollard placed third individually at IHSA Nationals in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to help NMSU finish fourth overall, while also helping the Western squad to a second-place finish at the Big 8 Western Tournament and a fifth-place finish at the VENC. As a sophomore, she was named the team's "Most Valuable Rider" after earning a stellar 5-2-2 horsemanship record, capturing three MVP honors in reining, and leading the Aggies to a third-place national finish at the VENC with an outstanding 3-1 record in both disciplines.
Pollard continued her dominance during the 2007–08 fall semester, sweeping MVP honors against Texas A&M and Stephen F. Austin with a 4-0 reining and 3-1 horsemanship run, before being voted team captain. She capped off her collegiate career by qualifying as an individual rider for the 2009 VENC, finishing in the Top 4 nationally in both horsemanship and reining.
Pollard (formerly Chesley) and her husband, Jarod, were married in December 2018 and reside in Mulhall, Oklahoma. They have two children: a daughter, Jolee (Jojo), born in April 2020, and a son, Jett, born in June 2022.
