The 2025 NFR will feature four split teams, the most in the sport’s recent history, with some teams reuniting for a do-over in Las Vegas.
Dustin Egusquiza, 30, (fourth in the world with $160,703.39) will rope with Levi Lord (third with $158,321.88), with their partners—JC Flake (24th with $75,927.33) and Shay Carroll (18th with $104,593.50)—outside the top 15. It’s Egusquiza’s eighth qualification and Lord’s fifth.
Catch up: Watch last year’s NFR steer break in, just for fun.
“It makes sense—the majority of both of our money was won with each other,” Lord said. “We’ve been there before and we haven’t done great, but hopefully we can turn it around this year with some better horses to ride.”
Clay Smith (fifth with $158,489.89) and Coleby Payne (sixth with $149,293.26) will reunite after a no-time in Round 10 cost them the NFR aggregate title in 2024. Smith, 34, with 11 qualifications, and Payne, 26, with just one before this, split this spring, with Smith heading for Resistol Rookie of the Year Nicky Northcott all summer, who finished 16th with $111,029.01 won. Payne heeled for a number of different headers, including JR Dees who finished 24th with $75,629.24 and Tanner Tomlinson at the Governor’s Cup, where they finished second for $24,000. Tomlinson is second in the world with $183,807.11 won, and he’ll rope with his regular partner Travis Graves, who’s fifth with $149,918.88, in Las Vegas.
“I’m great with it—I hate it for Nicky because a couple years ago it was me,” Payne said. “I’m tickled to get to rope with Clay out there this year. Maybe we can finish what we started.”
Kolton Schmidt, 31, (14th with $119,938.20) will head back to Las Vegas for the first time since 2020 and his third Finals appearance overall, heading for Jonathan Torres (15th with $111,672.10). This will be Torres’ fourth trip to Las Vegas, and his fourth time making it without his regular season partner.
“To finish the year like this without my partner isn’t the greatest,” Torres, 33, said. “Change, to me, is not what you want. I know Kolton will do his job. I don’t love it for Nelson, because we’re a good team and I don’t like him being left out. But him still going with me toward the end to give me a chance is a big deal. He’s doing everything he can for the team as well. Nelson and I are 100% in for the future, but making it this year without him, it doesn’t make me feel accomplished, and maybe that’s selfish. I don’t like being this guy by no means. It’s been one rodeo each year that it’s been like this. I can only tell myself I have to worry about doing my job now going in. I know Kolton, and I’ve jackpotted with him. I know he hasn’t been in a few years, and I bought 35 of Coleman Proctor’s Mexican steers, and we’ll get to practice. It will be cool for him to do everything he can on his end, and I’ll do what I need on my end. It’s always awesome to get an opportunity no matter what.”
Lightning Aguilera (15th with $114,735.75) and Kaden Profili (14th with $113,535.55) will round out the final team, with Aguilera’s partner Wyatt Cox finishing 17th with $106,929.70 and Profili’s header Brenten Hall 17th with $108,874.07. This marks 23-year-old Profili’s second-straight NFR qualification, and 31-year-old Aguilera’s second as well.