Yes—plenty of teams certainly can catch Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira in the 2022 ProRodeo world standings race, but whether they will is another matter all together.
After a regular-season-record smashing year, they each won $227,877.85, winning everywhere from Fort Worth, Texas, to San Juan Capistrano, California, to Walla Walla, Washington.
Reigning World Champ Driggers, 32, enters the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo with an $83,214.71 lead on No. 2 Clay Tryan—very likely the widest margin any header has entered the Finals with in team roping history. Nogueira’s gap is even wider with $97,546.17 more than No. 2 Jake Long. In 2021, Driggers won the world with $263,227 in earnings—just $35,349.15 more than he enters the Finals with in 2022. Nogueira, 32, won the world in 2021 with $277,612, $49,734 more than he enters the Finals with this year.

“More than likely, nobody can catch them,” said eight-time World Champ Rich Skelton. “But with the money that’s out there, it’s not impossible. The average pays over $70,000, but more than likely, no. They won the world last year and got momentum, and they’re roping good. Every steer Junior has heeled is like roping the Heel-O-Matic. That Kaleb just gets it on them and gets their feet together and does a remarkable job, and it allows Junior to not make any mistakes. And he’s fast along the way.”
Clay Smith and Paul Eaves still hold the single-season earnings record of $289,921 set in 2018, but Driggers and Nogueira’s $227,877.65 means they’ll be gunning to smash that mark, too.
Each of the 10 Full Go-Rounds: $93,270
1ST $28,913.70
2ND $22,851.15
3RD $17,254.95
4TH $12,125.10
5TH $7,461.60
6TH $4,663.50
Go-round winners will pick up $28,914, and last hole still pays $4,663.50.
In 2021, Driggers and Nogueira placed in six out of 10 go rounds and won Round 4, earning $143,896 at the Finals alone.
“I’d be really surprised if anybody can catch them,” said seven-time World Champ Jake Barnes. “They have the momentum. They’re winning everywhere they go. But I’ve had that happen before, too—one year, Clay and I had a really good year, and we went to the Finals and things didn’t go so good and we still ended up winning it. If I was a betting man, I’d put all my money on them. There’s no guarantees, but you’re not going to go back there and skunk them.”
Average Payout: $279,811 each
1ST $74,149.92
2ND $60,159.36
3RD $47,567.87
4TH $34,976.38
5TH $25,182.99
6TH $18,187.71
7TH $12,591.50
8TH $6,995.27
Both men plan to start on the same horse they rode in 2021—Cuervo and Timon—and stick to their game plan of roping each steer, one at a time, keeping Driggers’ head horse working around his left leg and giving Nogueira a consistent shot.
“I see them as a dynasty,” Barnes added. “Their chemistry is just a little bit better than everybody else’s. I think they’ve matured more, both of them, and I think they’re settling in and coming into their prime. What’s so crazy is there’s a lot of great ropers, but there’s more to being a great roper—it’s about being a great team. Great ropers can rope with other great ropers and the chemistry isn’t there. But in them, they have a groove going on and the ball is rolling for them.”