Korbin Rice and Cooper Freeman take a 4.75-second lead into Sunday’s final round of team roping at the 2026 Hondo Rodeo Fest at Chase Field in Phoenix. They’re 10.06 on two head, and the average pays $20,000 a man.
Rice and Freeman were 5.26 in Round 1 on Friday, Nov. 13, and 4.80 in Round 2 on Saturday, Nov. 14, placing in both for $11,000 apiece. Tyler Wade and Paul Eaves are second in the average at 14.81 after a 4.62 Saturday, also with $11,000 a man.
James Arviso and Levi Lord had the fastest run of the weekend, a 4.16 to win Round 1, before a 17.21 Saturday dropped them to fourth in the average. Erich Rogers and Cory Petska won Round 2 in 4.38 but are a head down after a no-time Friday. Those two teams have won the most so far, $12,000 a man.
Eaves is half of the defending champions. He and Kaleb Driggers won the 2025 Hondo in 13.34 on three. Driggers, roping with Junior Nogueira this year, and Tanner Tomlinson and Wesley Thorp have yet to catch a steer.
All eight invited teams rope again Sunday. There’s no cut.
Hondo Rodeo Fest team roping standings through Round 2
| Avg. | Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Average | Won per man |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman | 5.26 | 4.80 | 10.06 on 2 | $11,000 |
| 2 | Tyler Wade/Paul Eaves | 10.19 | 4.62 | 14.81 on 2 | $11,000 |
| 3 | Andrew Ward/Jake Long | 14.54 | 5.52 | 20.06 on 2 | $1,500 |
| 4 | James Arviso/Levi Lord | 4.16 | 17.21 | 21.37 on 2 | $12,000 |
| 5 | Tyler Tryan/Nicky Northcott | 12.68 | 9.88 | 22.56 on 2 | $1,500 |
| 6 | Erich Rogers/Cory Petska | NT | 4.38 | 4.38 on 1 | $12,000 |
| T-7 | Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira | NT | NT | — | — |
| T-7 | Tanner Tomlinson/Wesley Thorp | NT | NT | — | — |
Times in seconds. NT = no time. The average ranks teams by steers caught, then total time. Money includes Rounds 1 and 2 only; Round 3, average and bonus money are pending.
How the format and payout work
All eight invited teams rope in all three rounds, so there’s no qualifying cut for Sunday’s final performance. The fastest total on three head wins the championship and $20,000 a man, and second in the average pays $12,500 a man.
Each round pays $12,000, $7,500, $3,500 and $1,500 a man to the top four teams. Those checks add up: a team that won all three rounds and the average would take home $56,000 a man before any bonus money. Winning Sunday’s round earns the round check only. It doesn’t automatically win the average or the rodeo’s separate $50,000 bonus for the top money earner.
Watch training sessions with team ropers heading to the NFR on Roping.com.