The 2025 NFR has hit the halfway point heading into Round 6 of the team roping. Six-time NFR qualifier Rhen Richard gave us his analysis on Round 5 happenings.

Andrew Ward & Jake Long

Round 4: 5.7
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $86,095.85
World Standings Earnings: $235,150.60; $233,404.05
Average: 21.9/5; 1
World Standings: 2; 1

Richard’s take: Andrew missed the barrier a little there. That’s the first time all week that he’d kind of been off it, but they still made their run. I think there’s a few teams right now that are sticking to their game plan, and their run just looks simple. I think as far as most of the time, having a chance to win a gold buckle at the end, you got to be able to have a chance to win two checks at the end; their run looks like they can do it every time. So as far as the average goes and placing in the rounds, I love what they have going on.

Clay Smith & Coleby Payne

Round 4: 5.4
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $10,000
World Standings Earnings: $168,489.89; $159,293.26
Average: 29.50/4; 8
World Standings: 12; 13

Richard’s take: This horse that Clay’s riding is a stud that Colby Lovell has been riding quite a bit and trained. It’s the first time he’s ever been here. Clay’s getting it on these steers super fast, and like I said, there’s so many different styles that will work in this building. I mean, there’s not many guys that can head like Clay’s heading; he’s got it on ’em when the neck rope pops. So, I know they’re probably not satisfied with what they’ve won, but if Clay can keep turning them back right here, Coleby will get it figured out and they’ll win a lot. He’s getting it on them so fast, there’s just not a whole lot of room for error on Coleby’s end. When you turn them that fast, you get into the wall fast so you got a chance to win first, but if you’re behind at all–Coleby was a little behind right there–they just didn’t really get that finish. So, they can clean some little things up, and I see them being able to win a bunch.

Dustin Egusquiza & Levi Lord

Round 4: 100
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $42,823.73
World Standings Earnings: $203,527.12; $201,145.61
Average: 17.5/3; 10
World Standings: 6

Richard’s take: Dustin and Levi, they win the round the night before last and same thing, just a little behind there. I mean, when you’re in their situation, they’re out of the average, you got to kind of take that throw no matter what. But you can see he missed the barrier there and just had to reach, and it didn’t work. 

Clint Summers & Jade Corkill

Round 4: 3.9
Round Winnings: $21,882.48
Total NFR Earnings: $62,833.38
World Standings Earnings: $224,074.99; $224,400.21
Average: 22/5; 2
World Standings: 3; 2

Richard’s take: I mean, you can tell they’ve formulated a run through their partnership. Clint, he’s trying to score sharp, be close to the barrier and get him on a tight rope. And this head horse is, obviously if he’s not the best ever in the building, he’s one of the top. So, that makes it nice. Jade, he just looks like he’s doing his normal deal: second hop. It looks like they can do it 100 times in a row. Clint got a great start there. That steer kind of hit down the arena a little bit, but Jade was in a good enough spot, it didn’t matter. Like I said, 3.9 looked like a 6-second run.

Derrick Begay & Colter Todd

Round 4: 5.3
Round Winnings: $5,914.19
Total NFR Earnings: $21,828.38
World Standings Earnings: $188,030.32; $185,677.97
Average: 38.9/5; 3
World Standings: 11; 10

Richard’s take: They haven’t struck a ton this week yet, but same deal. Any team can get on a roll pretty easy. That steer took a step left, and it just kind of put Colter behind a little bit. Which, it doesn’t matter how good of a start you get here, if they step left, you’re trying like heck to get there. His rope maybe went over his horn one time or it popped off the top of his horn when he dallied and kind of shot some rope back to Derrick, and they didn’t get finished at all. It seems like if you run rope at all here at the Thomas & Mack, you don’t have a flag coming. 

Tanner Tomlinson & Travis Graves

Round 4: 3.8
Round Winnings: $28,979.51
Total NFR Earnings: $56,130.65
World Standings Earnings: $239,937.77; $206,049.54
Average: 23.1/4; 5
World Standings: 1; 5

Richard’s take: Tanner and TG, they made a good run last night. This horse fits this building. The head horse, he’s fast-footed, and Tanner’s style is so electric that, I mean, when they stopped the clock they’re going to hit the board. TG did a hell of a job right there, heeled that steer on the first hop. He made a horse change, and It must’ve worked. He looked like he was in a great spot right there when the steer hit. Everything was tight there; ropes weren’t loose anywhere. In my opinion, that’s the runs that you can consistently do here at the Thomas & Mack is just the sharp runs that are a high-percentage style.

Kaleb Driggers & Junior Nogueira

Round 4: 5.5
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $25,376.88
World Standings Earnings: $223,874.60; $223,874.60
Average: 23.2/4; 6
World Standings: 4; 3

Richard’s take: Driggers, he looked like he got a little bit of a move right there before the gate banged and just ended up being late. I think he knew what happened and just sat down and went and completed the course. Lived to fight another day. There, I mean he dropped and his horse had kind of paused, and that steer was not waiting around either. There’s so much that can happen between now and the end that it’s hard.

Lightning Aguilera & Kaden Profili

Round 4: 100
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $75,844.59
World Standings Earnings: $190,580.35; $189,380.15
Average: 17.4/3; 9
World Standings: 10; 9

Richard’s take: Lightning had it on that steer fast and just missed his slack and had a half head. It just rolled off. I mean, that run could have been mid-three pretty easy. He’s going to back in there and go at ’em every night. I mean hell, they could win the next four rounds. Their run’s fast. 

Kolton Schmidt & Jonathan Torres

Round 4: 3.7
Round Winnings: $36,667.95
Total NFR Earnings: $103,838.40
World Standings Earnings: $223,776.61; $215,510.51
Average: 16.3/4; 4
World Standings: 5; 4

Richard’s take: Kolton’s actually riding a horse of mine, a 7-year-old. Dang sure a little green still, but he did a great job right there. Steer peeled off to the right and was low-headed, and I mean just to keep it on that steer was a good job. And he made up perfect. Jonathan freaking waxed that steer. I mean, he dallied on eight foot of rope and finished the run. That heel horse looks amazing in this arena. Every time they’ve stopped the clock, he’s just there waiting for ’em to turn, and the horse is separating and has a big finish. So I mean as much as these rounds pay, if they can keep it rolling, they’re in a good spot. 

Luke Brown & Trey Yates

Round 4: 4.5
Round Winnings: $15,376.88
Total NFR Earnings: $25,376.88
World Standings Earnings: $148,679.80; $148,679.79
Average: 22.3/3; 12
World Standings: 15

Richard’s take: Luke and Trey, this steer dang sure stepped left pretty good, and I mean, when they come left here it makes it tough to be fast. They’re 4.5, I mean they did a great job but you see how much rope there was on the ground when Luke faced, and there’s really nothing he can do about it. It’s just, when they step left like that and you’ve got two coils out, it doesn’t matter; you cannot keep the rope tight. So, that could have been 3.7 as easy as it was 4.5. They got a lot of good things going on. Luke’s turned some good steers. Trey, a little bad luck on one or two of them, but he’ll bounce back and be ready. 

Riley Minor & Brady Minor

Round 4: 9.7
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $25,574.02
World Standings Earnings: $150,599.29; $150,599.31
Average: 26.3/4; 7
World Standings: 14

Richard’s take: The Minors, they’ve placed in a round. They’ve got so much chemistry on these two horses, I mean, they’ve rode ’em for 10, 15 years and whenever you can do that, it’s pretty special. Just shows. Riley got a good start there, got the half head. Brady was a tick behind right there. That steer was strong and almost pushing into Brady a little bit, and they just weren’t in a great frame. When Riley put it on the horn and when that happens here, it wants to slap the steer’s hips out there and there’s not a ton of timing to the run.

Jake Smith & Douglas Rich

Round 4: 100
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $68,550.43
World Standings Earnings: $194,087.46; $183,337.45
Average: 29/3; 13
World Standings: 8; 11

Richard’s take: Jake, they’ve made some good runs this week. This horse has been kind of giving him a little bit of trouble in the box wanting to kick his butt out, but it seems like if he can get a start on this horse that he is turning them to win first. And Jake, he’s a gamer. I mean, you ain’t going to keep him down; he’s going to keep going at them. Same deal there though. So hard here because literally, if you miss the barrier, it is dang near impossible to go do what you want to do. He got a little bit of a pop right there when he dropped, and it put him behind. The steer stepped in front of him. If there was one non-negotiable thing I would tell any header here, it’s don’t miss the barrier.

Dawson Graham & Dillon Graham

Round 4: 100
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $61,256.26
World Standings Earnings: $193,190.28; $193,190.30
Average: 7.9/2; 14
World Standings: 9; 8

Richard’s take: This steer was on the better end, and they’ve got a couple no times. So Dawson, he’s going to be going at ’em. I mean, they made a great run. I don’t know whether I agree with the crossfire or not; he dang sure heeled him when the hips kind of went out there. But they’re going to keep trying to make that run every night. That head horse has been so good for Dawson. Dillon’s won a lot on that heel horse. He come from Keely Bonnett up there in Canada. They’re young in their career and been close to making the Fianls a couple of years, so they’re a team that can make it every year and have a chance to win a gold buckle every year. Bright future for them.

Cyle Denison & Lane Mitchell

Round 4: 100
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $23,602.63
World Standings Earnings: $165,605.01; $166,634.53
Average: 21.3/3; 11
World Standings: 13; 12

Richard’s take: They made some good runs this week. This head horse has been good for a long time. Colby Lovell won a gold buckle on him. This heel horse is a little stud. I think he’s a Streak Of Fling, so that’s cool. He’s kind of got the run-cross thing going on, but they’re heeling on him. And this horse fits Lane. Lane’s put in a pretty good shift, too. For him to finally get a back number, that’s been cool. I’ve been happy for Lane, he’s a good guy. Both kind of got a little bit of a weird go right there. It’s just the little things that can make a big difference here. Cyle kind of got a double clutch right there and then just ended up throwing out a stride and trying to make something happen. And sometimes it’s hard to do here, but if a guy can just slow down, it’s usually faster.

Tyler Wade & Wesley Thorp

Round 4: 4.7
Round Winnings: $9,462.70
Total NFR Earnings: $52,286.43
World Standings Earnings: $195,652.90; $195,652.90
Average: 8.5/2; 15
World Standings: 7

Richard’s take: Like I said, they could win the next four rounds, so you hate to say they’ve struggled. But they won one round, they placed last night. TWade had it on that steer fast and went over the horn, and I mean, they still go 4.7. So, if he got his wraps right there and Wesley heels him in the same spot, hey’re 3.7. They got a lot of good stuff going on, and TWade, he’ll be ducking ’em back.