With two world championships and a reserve title in a single afternoon, Junior Nogueira turned the Junior Roping classes at the AQHA World Show into his personal victory lap—winning the Junior Heading and Heeling titles aboard two standout horses and earning $75,862.85 in the process.
Nogueira rode Seven Biggie to the Junior Heading world title with a score of 226.5, earning $28,093.93 for owners Nicks Livestock Services LLC of Refugio, Texas. The 2019 stallion is by Seven S Big Valley and out of Playguns Smokin Gal, bred by John Morgan O’Brien of Beeville, Texas.
“It’s a dream come true,” Nogueira said. “Just to be there and get to win something like that, roping against the best guys in the whole world—it means a lot.”
Minutes after accepting the gold globe in the heading, Nogueira pivoted to the heeling short round. Riding two horses, he would not only claim his second championship of the day—this time aboard his mare Mydiamonds R Special—but also finish reserve again on Seven Biggie.
Mydiamonds R Special marked a 230.5 for the win and $26,538.29. The 2020 mare by Whizkey N Diamonds and out of Gunnersspecialsister was bred by Brooke M. Wharton of Fort Worth, Texas, and is owned by Nogueira in partnership with Rafael Correa Paoliello. Her reserve counterpart, Seven Biggie, scored a 229.5, adding another $21,230.63 to Nogueira’s Oklahoma City haul.
Mydiamonds R Special and Seven Biggie now hold $61,605 and $89,492, respectively, in lifetime QData earnings.
Return to the World Show
Nogueira’s dominance wasn’t just about titles—it marked a deeply personal victory. While Nogueira’s dominance in rodeo has gone unquestioned, he first came to the U.S. to show horses for the late Robbie Schroeder. He won the AQHA Senior Heading World Championship in 2020 aboard his iconic mare Apache R Hali, but he hasn’t gotten a globe since.
“That’s how I started—showing horses,” he said. “It’s how I did it my whole childhood.”
The World Show brought together not only high-caliber horses and ropers, but also a sizable crowd of Brazilian supporters who watched Nogueira’s career unfold from the beginning. For him, it felt like a homecoming.
“There were a lot of Brazilians there,” Nogueira said. “That’s how we do. They love horse shows. We do that in Brazil, and they all came to watch. You saw it—they get excited.”
The emotion peaked when Nogueira realized just how special the moment was—not just one win, but two, and a second-place to boot.
“In that moment, we were top three, and I’m already super happy,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what horse wins. I just want to give 100% in everything I do. Whoever’s the best should win—and that day, everything just worked out.”
Seven Biggie’s Big Debut
Though Mydiamonds R Special has been in Nogueira’s program since her 4-year-old year, Seven Biggie was a catch ride for Nogueira at the World Show. The stallion came through the hands of Clay Logan, who laid his foundation, and was later shown and seasoned by Cole Davison.
“Clay and Cole did a great job getting him broke and putting the right kind of buttons on him,” Nogueira said. “He was started right, and you could feel that right away. I’d never ridden any of the Seven S Big Valley horses before. That was the first time. But I liked him right away. Good horse, strong stop, athletic—he felt good.”
Nogueira had been offered the ride because Davison was busy setting up for the Gold Buckle Futurities the following week, and Nogueira wanted to make sure the horse was up to the task.
“I said, ‘Man, if he’s good, I’ll ride him—but I don’t want to ride just any horse at the World Show,’” Nogueira said. “They sent him home to me and let me get a feel. I scored some, ran some on the head side and some on the heel side, and he really impressed me.”
Special Mare, Special Timing
Mydiamonds R Special has proven herself again and again under Nogueira’s program since purchasing her from California rope horse trainer Andy Holcomb.
“From day one, I told them—I think this mare can be good at AQHA,” Nogueira said. “She was smaller, but she had a look, a feel. She’s special.”
Holcomb’s program made a lasting impression on Nogueira, who said the horse was prepared well and fit his style from the start.
“I get along with Andy’s horses really well. He’s a great guy, and I really respect how he trains,” Nogueira said. “We’ve taken her everywhere—jackpots, shows—and she’s been good at all of it.”
The plan is to continue showing Mydiamonds R Special, while also looking ahead to her breeding future. With her bloodlines—Whizkey N Diamonds on top, and a full sister to reining star Gunners Special Nite on the bottom—Nogueira believes she has long-term value as both a show horse and producer.
“She’s only 5, about to be 6,” he said. “We’ve still got one more full year to show her, and we’ll keep showing. But she’ll be a great broodmare, too.”
Not Done Yet
It’s no surprise that Nogueira’s mastery carried over into the AQHA World Show. This year alone, he and partner Kaleb Driggers picked up their second straight win at the Bob Feist Invitational, added the title at the American Rodeo and closed out the regular season as champions with a win at the Sioux Falls’ Cinch Governor’s Cup in 2025. Nogueira’s PRCA earnings currently sit at $198,497.72, granting him the No. 1 spot heading into the National Finals Rodeo.
