Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Equestrian
- Title:
- Director of Operations
- Email:
- kate.chesley@okstate.edu
- 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, managing team and staff travel logistics, and coordinating personalized recruit visits. Additionally, Pollard assists with fiscal budget oversight, coordinates essential team resources, and serves as the show manager to deliver elite-level home competitions.
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. As a graduate assistant from 2010 to 2013, she contributed to back-to-back Reserve National Championship finishes at the NCEA National Championships in 2011 and 2012, highlighted by a thrilling 2011 finals run after defeating Georgia in the semi-finals. Moving into her role as assistant coach, she helped guide the Wildcats to an 11–6 record in 2013–14 and a run to the NCEA National Championship Quarterfinals. The following season, she coached K-State to an undefeated home slate and a consecutive trip to the NCEA National Championship Quarterfinals. As director of operations in 2015–16, she anchored the program through its final competitive season, helping the team maintain a dominant 18–1 home record over her final two years in Manhattan.
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 Varsity Equestrian National Championship (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 Crescent, Oklahoma. They have two children: a daughter, Jolee, born in April 2020, and a son, Jett, born in June 2022.
