After eight rounds of team roping at the 2025 NFR, the world title race is tightening—but it isn’t finished yet.
Kolton Schmidt leads the heading with $279,074.24, while Jonathan Torres sits atop the heeling with $270,808.14. With two rounds left and the average still undecided, several teams are still alive—though the path forward is narrowing fast.
(Editor’s note: These are hypotheticals discussing mathematical possibilities.)
How Much Money Is Still on the Table?
With two rounds remaining, the most a guy can still earn is significant.
Each round win pays $36,667.95 per man, meaning a perfect final two nights would be worth $73,335.90. Add in the average title, which pays $94,035.54, and an athlete could win up to $167,371.44.
Average Race
As of Dec. 11, 2025
| Team | Total | Head |
|---|---|---|
| Kolton Schmidt / Jonathan Torres | 128.7 | 7 |
| Clint Summers / Jade Corkill | 131.3 | 7 |
| Andrew Ward / Jake Long | 131.3 | 7 |
| Kaleb Driggers / Junior Nogueira | 145.8 | 7 |
| Derrick Begay / Colter Todd | 152.4 | 7 |
| Riley Minor / Brady Minor | 233.8 | 6 |
| Tanner Tomlinson / Travis Graves | 236.3 | 6 |
| Dustin Egusquiza / Levi Lord | 239.2 | 6 |
| Dawson Graham / Dillon Graham | 324.6 | 5 |
| Lightning Aguilera / Kaden Profili | 325.3 | 5 |
| Cyle Denison / Lane Mitchell | 329.8 | 5 |
| Clay Smith / Coleby Payne | 333.2 | 5 |
| Luke Brown / Trey Yates | 334.6 | 5 |
| Tyler Wade / Wesley Thorp | 430.9 | 4 |
| Jake Smith / Douglas Rich | 433.9 | 4 |
Entering Round 9, there are no teams left with all steers caught. Five teams have caught seven steers, and those five control every meaningful move at the top of the standings. However, three teams will be able to place being two steers down.
Schmidt and Torres currently lead the aggregate with a 128.7, holding a 2.6-second edge over Clint Summers and Jade Corkill, and Andrew Ward and Jake Long, who are tied at 131.3. Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira and Derrick Begay and Colter Todd remain within striking distance but have far less margin for error.
World Standings Breakdown
Heading
Schmidt’s $279,074.24 puts him narrowly in front of Tanner Tomlinson’s $276,605.71, Clint Summers with $253,054.50, Kaleb Driggers at $252,854.11 and Andrew Ward with $244,021.89.
If the NFR ended after Round 8, Schmidt would leave Las Vegas with his first gold buckle. But with $167,371.44 still theoretically available, the door remains open.
Tomlinson sits just $2,468.53 behind Schmidt, a gap smaller than a single sixth-place round check. Summers and Driggers trail by roughly $26,000, which equates to a second-place round finish. Ward, about $35,000 back, remains within one round win of the lead.
Further down, Dawson Graham at $239,320.93 and Dustin Egusquiza with $237,829.39 remain mathematically alive but would need multiple high finishes combined with slowed earnings from those ahead.
Beyond that point, the math becomes increasingly unforgiving. While competitors like Lightning Aguilera, Tyler Wade, Jake Smith and Clay Smith are not officially eliminated, their path would require big money nights paired with minimal earnings from the leaders.
| Header | Current | Behind Schmidt | What that deficit “looks like” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tanner Tomlinson | $276,605.71 | $2,468.53 | less than a 6th-place round check ($5,914.19) |
| Clint Summers | $253,054.50 | $26,019.74 | about a 2nd-place round check ($28,979.51) |
| Kaleb Driggers | $252,854.11 | $26,220.13 | about a 2nd-place round check ($28,979.51) |
| Andrew Ward | $244,021.89 | $35,052.35 | about a round win ($36,667.95) |
| Dawson Graham | $239,320.93 | $39,753.31 | about 4th in the average ($44,356.39) |
| Dustin Egusquiza | $237,829.39 | $41,244.85 | about 4th in the average ($44,356.39) |
| Lightning Aguilera | $208,914.33 | $70,159.91 | about 2nd in the average ($76,292.99) |
| Tyler Wade | $195,652.90 | $83,421.34 | bigger than two round wins ($73,335.90) → needs average + help |
Heeling
On the heeling side, Torres leads with $270,808.14, followed closely by Corkill at $253,379.72 and Nogueira with $252,854.11.
Corkill and Nogueira trail Torres by less than $18,000—an amount that could be erased with a single strong round. Travis Graves has $242,717.48 and Jake Long has $242,275.34, keeping them within one round win of the top spot, keeping the heeling race wide open.
Dillon Graham sits with $239,320.95, and Levi Lord has $235,447.88, so they are still alive but would need help from those ahead, while the remainder of the field would require near-perfect finishes combined with stalled earnings from the leaders to stay in contention.
| Heeler | Current | Behind Torres | What that deficit “looks like” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jade Corkill | $253,379.72 | $17,428.42 | less than a 3rd-place round check ($21,882.48) |
| Junior Nunes Nogueira | $252,854.11 | $17,954.03 | less than a 3rd-place round check ($21,882.48) |
| Travis Graves | $242,717.48 | $28,090.66 | about a 2nd-place round check ($28,979.51) |
| Jake Long | $242,275.34 | $28,532.80 | about a 2nd-place round check ($28,979.51) |
| Dillon Graham | $239,320.95 | $31,487.19 | about 5th in the average ($31,936.60) |
| Levi Lord | $235,447.88 | $35,360.26 | about a round win ($36,667.95) |
| Kaden Profili | $207,714.13 | $63,094.01 | about 2nd in the average ($76,292.99) |
| Wesley Thorp | $195,652.90 | $75,155.24 | bigger than two round wins ($73,335.90) → needs average + help |
What It Means Heading Into Round 9
With two rounds left, the math still allows for movement—but the margin for error is gone. While multiple headers and heelers remain mathematically alive heading into Round 9, that list is expected to shrink dramatically by the end of the night.
After Round 9, the conversation will shift from who’s still alive to what needs to happen for the few teams still standing heading into the final round of the 2025 NFR.
