Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira went 4.4 in the final round to make the fastest run of the 2024 NFR Open team roping, setting a bar no other team could match in the sudden death round to win $13,000 a man to win the first national circuit titles of their storied careers.
The win—worth $16,000 with their Round 2, 4.6-second win in their set at the Colorado Springs rodeo included—put Driggers north of $113,000 and Nogueira over the $106,000 mark with two and a half months left in the regular season, putting both men near the top of the world standings with money still trickling in from weekend rodeos.
“It feels good to make some good runs,” said Nogueira, the 33-year-old 2016 All-Around World Champ and 2021-2022 heeling world champ. “You know, to have a run together and just doing our job. I think that’s the main thing here. We’re not trying to beat nobody. We’re trying to make the best we can. And I know my partner did a good job and rides great horses. I’m just worried about me.”
In the final round, Driggers scored sharp on the same steer they were 4.6 on in Round 2 and teed Nogueira up for an even faster shot.
“You kind of show them what they have to do and they’re either going to beat you or they’re not,” Driggers, 34, from Hoboken, Georgia, said. “But I think that in this situation, third’s paying $7,000. I just thought if we made a good run, then we should win a good check. And that was kind of my game plan was just make sure and score good and get a good start.”
Nogueira rode Timon—registered as Kiehnes Frosty Pepto—the 14-year-old gelding he’s ridden since 2019. Driggers rode the 15-year-old gelding he calls Cowboy—registered as Hot Freckled Leo. Both horses are the ones responsible for the lion’s share of the record-breaking earnings the two amassed over the 2024 Fourth-of-July run a week before the NFR Open.
Notably, Derrick Begay and Colter Todd, who’d been dry as of late on the rodeo trail, picked up $10,000 a man for second with a 4.5-second run in the final round, while Erich Rogers and Paul Eaves grabbed third for with a 4.9 for $7,000 a man.
Full Results: NFR Open Team Roping 2024
Pool A: First round: 1. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Evan Arnold, 5.3 seconds $3,000 each; 2. Garrett Rogers/Tyler Worley, 5.5, $2,250; 3. Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, 5.6, $1,500; 4. Grady Quam/Denim Ross, 11.7, $750; 5. Shawn Bird/Ike Folsom, 11.9; 6. Waylon Cameron/Scot Brown, 14.2; 7. (tie) Dillon Green/Justin Yost, Cooper Bruce/Wyatt Kanan and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, NT.
Second round: 1. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Evan Arnold, 6.1 seconds, $3,000 each; 2. Garrett Rogers/Tyler Worley, 6.5 seconds, $2,250; 3. Waylon Cameron/Scot Brown, 7.8, $1,500; 4. Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, 9.0, $750; 5. Shawn Bird/Ike Folsom, 16.0; 6. (tie) Grady Quam/Denim Ross, Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, Cooper Bruce/Wyatt Kanan and Dillon Green/Justin Yost, NT.
Qualifiers: 1. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Evan Arnold, 11.4 seconds on two head; 2. Garrett Rogers/Tyler Worley, 12.0; 3. Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, 14.6.
Pool B: First round: 1. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 5.0 seconds, $3,000 each; 2. Jeff Flenniken/Jake Minor, 6.6, $2,250; 3. Blake Hirdes/Mike George, 7.1, $1,500; 4. Luis Baeza/Jose Rodriguez Cortes, 7.6, $750; 5. Eric Fabian/Derek Carey, 7.8; 6. (tie) Cody Reed/Jace McDaniel, Zane Murphy/Dusty Taylor, Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Bodie Mattson/Cash Hetzel, NT. Second round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.6 seconds, $3,000 each; 2. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 5.7, $2,250; 3. Blake Hirdes/Mike George, 7.7, $1,500; 4. Bodie Mattson/Cash Hetzel, 10.0, $750; 5. (tie) Cody Reed/Jace McDaniel, Jeff Flenniken/Jake Minor, Eric Fabian/Derek Carey, Luis Baeza/Jose Rodriguez Cortes and Zane Murphy/Dusty Taylor, NT.
Qualifiers: 1. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 10.7 seconds on two head; 2. Blake Hirdes/Mike George, 14.8, 3. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.6 seconds on one head.
Pool C: First round: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 5.8 seconds, $3,000 each; 2. Clay Ullery/Tyce McLeod, 12.4, $2,250; 3. Cutter Machado/Dalton Pearce, 13.2, $1,500; 4. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 15.1, $750; 5. (tie) Tanner Pallesen/Max Kuttler, Jon Peterson/Trae Smith, Bart Brunson/Clay Green, Coy Brittain/Boogie Ray and Brady Tryan/Zachary Schweigert, NT. Second round: 1. Jon Peterson/Trae Smith, 5.0 seconds, $3,000 each; 2. Coy Brittain/Boogie Ray, 5.2, $2,250; 3. Bart Brunson/Clay Green, 5.4; $1,500; 4. Clay Ullery/Tyce McLeod, 8.0, $750; 5. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 8.5; 6. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 11.7; 7. Tanner Pallesen/Max Kuttler, 20.3; 8. (tie) Cutter Machado/Dalton Pearce and Brady Tryan/Zachary Schweigert, NT.
Qualifiers: 1. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 14.3 seconds on two head; 2. Clay Ullery/Tyce McLeod, 20.4; 3. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 26.8.
Finals: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.4 seconds, $13,000 each; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 4.5, $10,000; 3. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 4.9, $7,000; 4. Garrett Rogers/Tyler Worley, 5.3, $3,500; 5. Clay Ullery/Tyce McLeod, Blake Hirdes/Mike George, Clayton Van Aken/Cullen Teller, Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin and Manny Egusquiza Jr./Evan Arnold, NT, $1,500 each.
