Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira skyrocketed back to the top of the PRCA’s world standings with a win at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, worth $20,000 each for their final 4.2-second run in the tournament-style event’s finals.
They also picked up $4,760 each in the qualifying rounds, putting them at $30,622.64 each on the season in early February.
“I’m blessed to have had my family there, with it being in Fort Worth,” Nogueira, 31, who makes his home in Lipan, said. “My wife Jacqueline was there with both my babies, so it was very special they got to watch.”
Driggers and Nogueira have their sights set on back-to-back world titles, and already notched big checks at Denver’s National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, the Texas Circuit Finals and the Heart O’Texas Fair and Rodeo in Waco (in October 2021).
“We have never had a great winter we always have done better in the summer,” Driggers, 32, said. “But to get off to a good start is a good feeling.”
They’ve got the same horsepower in the rig as they did to win the world, with Driggers riding Remis Gays Onofa Doc who he calls Cuervo.
“He’s so honest and solid, he just needs her attention and exercised,” Driggers said. “I get him from Danita Walker, who takes care of him any time I’m not hauling him, and maybe run three on him but never turn a practice steer on him and go to the rodeo.”
Nogueira rode Timon, registered as on Kiehnes Frosty Pepto.
“Timon works so good, he just lets me take the same shot,” Nogueira said. “I’m hopeful I can ride him for a long time because he works the same no matter the situation.” TRJ
FULL RESULTS:
Bracket 1: First round: 1. Colby Lovell/Matt Sherwood, 5.0 seconds, $1,760 each; 2. Hayes Smith/Cullen Teller, 5.3, $1,320; 3. Nick Sartain/Reagan Ward, 5.6, $880; 4. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 7.1, $440. Second round: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 4.1 seconds, $1,760 each; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 5.1, $1,320; 3. Colby Lovell/Matt Sherwood, 5.3, $880; no other qualified runs. Advancing: 1. Colby Lovell/Matt Sherwood; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison. Wild card: Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin.
Bracket 2: First round: 1. Clint Summers/Ross Ashford, 5.3 seconds, $1,760 each; 2. Brady Tryan/Rance Doyal, 5.4, $1,320; 3. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, 5.5, $880; 4. Clay Ullery/Matt Zancanella, 6.3, $440. Second round: 1. Brady Tryan/Rance Doyal, 4.5 seconds, $1,760 each. 2. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, 5.0, $1,320; 3. Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 5.4, $800; 4. Clint Summers/Ross Ashford, 6.0, $440. Advancing: 1. Brady Tryan/Rance Doyal; 2. Chad Masters/Cory Petska. Wild card: Clint Summers/Ross Ashford.
Bracket 3: First round: 1. (tie) Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler and Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 4.4 seconds, $1,540 each; 3. (tie) Zach Kilgus/Jake Edwards and Jr. Dees/Levi Lord, 4.5, $660 each. Second round: 1. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 4.6 seconds; $1,760 each; 2. Zach Kilgus/Jake Edwards, 4.5, $1,320; 3. Marcus Theriot/Shay Carroll, 5.6, $880; 4. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 5.9, $440. Advancing: 1. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler; 2. Zach Kilgus/Jake Edwards. Wild card: Clay Tryan/Jake Long.
Bracket 4: First round: 1. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 4.6 seconds, $1,760 each; 2. Jake Cooper Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.9, $1,320; 3. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 6.4, $880; 4. Kreece Thompson/Chad Williams, 8.5, $440. Second round: 1. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 4.4 seconds, $1,760 each; 2. Garrett Tonozzi/T.J. Watts, 4.7, $1,320; 3. (tie) Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres and Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 5.1, $660 each. Advancing: 1. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres; 2. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp. Wild card: Luke Brown/Hunter Koch.
Bracket 5: First round: 1. (tie) Jake Orman/Brye Crites and Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 4.3 seconds, $1,540 each; 3. Cory Kidd V/Lane Mitchell, 4.4, $880; 4. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 4.6, $440. Second round: 1. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne, 3.6 seconds, $1,760 each; 2. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 4.5, $1,320; 3. Jake Orman/Brye Crites, 4.6, $880; 4. (tie) Cory Kidd V/Lane Mitchell and Brooks Dahozy/Russell Cardoza, 4.7, $220 each. Advancing: 1. Jake Orman/Brye Crites; 2. Lightning Aguilera/Coleby Payne. Wild card: Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves.
Bracket 6: First round: 1. (tie) Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II and Jeff Flenniken/Jake Minor, 4.4 seconds, $1,540 each; 3. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 5.7, $880; 4. Wyatt Imus/Caleb Anderson, 6.2, $440. Second round: 1. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 4.3 seconds, $1,760 each; 2. Jeff Flenniken/Jake Minor, 10.6, $1,320; 3. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 14.4, $880; 4. Levi Simpson/Ryan Motes, 20.0, $440. Advancing: 1. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II; 2. Jeff Flenniken/Jake Minor. Wild card: Erich Rogers/Paden Bray.
Bracket 7: First round: 1. Garrett Rogers/Justin Davis, 5.8 seconds, $1,760 each; 2. Cory Clark/Blaine Vick, 6.9, $1,320; 3. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 10.2, $880; 4. Rhett Anderson/Max Kuttler, 11.6, $440. Second round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.0 seconds, $1,760; 2. Britt Smith/Jake Smith, 4.5, $1,320; 3. Quinn Kesler/Caleb Hendrix, 5.0, $880; 4. Garrett Rogers/Justin Davis, 5.3, $440. Advancing: 1. Garrett Rogers/Justin Davis; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira. Wild card: Britt Smith/Jake Smith.
Wild card round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 3.8 seconds, $1,000; 2. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 4.5, $600; 3. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 14.2, $400. Semifinal qualifiers:Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Clay Tryan/Jake Long.
Semifinal 1: 1. Jake Orman/Brye Crites, 4.1 seconds, $4,000 each; 2. Garrett Rogers/Justin Davis, 4.7, $3,000; 3. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 5.4, $2,000; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 10.3, $1,000. Final qualifiers: Jake Orman/Brye Crites, Garrett Rogers/Justin Davis, Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II.
Semifinal 2: 1. Zach Kilgus/Jake Edwards, 5.1 seconds, $4,000; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Noguiera, 5.3, $3,000; 3. Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres, 5.4, $2,000; no other qualified runs. Final qualifiers: Zach Kilgus/Jake Edwards, Kaleb Driggers/Junior Noguiera, Joshua Torres/Jonathan Torres.
Finals: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.2 seconds, $20,000; 2. Jake Orman/Brye Crites, 4.4, $12,000; 3. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 4.6, $8,000; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 4.9, $4,000.
