Levi Lord will next month rope at his fifth NFR. It’s been a wild season, complete with a partner change most people did not see coming. (An interesting plot twist on that front happened shortly after press time.) Lord, 29, is a native of Sturgis, South Dakota. He currently hangs his hat in Mineral Wells, Texas, and will marry his fiancée, Baileigh Baker, on May 9, 2026.
Q: You made your first NFR in 2020, and roped at that year’s COVID-year NFR in Texas with Nelson Wyatt. How’d that go, and how different were the conditions from Vegas?
A: It was a dang good NFR, especially for our first one. We placed in five rounds, won third in the average and over $115,000 a man. To get to go there—especially when we were lucky to even have an NFR that year—was really good. The conditions weren’t the same rodeo as we have in Vegas, with the arena being so much bigger, the barrier being longer and the crowd not sitting right on top of you, like they do in Las Vegas. We were grateful they had it, and it was a good deal for us.
Q: After skipping the 2021 NFR, you roped with JR Dees at the Finals in 2022 before heeling for Dustin Egusquiza there in both 2023 and ’24. How’d you and Dustin connect as a team, and what was the magic that made you two so successful together?
A: When Dustin first moved to Texas from Florida, he lived at my house for about six months. Shortly after that, we started roping as second partners at the ropings. So we’d roped together and become good friends. We both needed a rodeo partner, so it was kind of a no-brainer to start roping together.
Q: After winning San Antonio earlier this year, in February, you and Dustin took the early lead in this year’s world standings. What do you consider the highlight of your partnership?
A: I’d say winning San Antonio twice (in 2023 and ’25) was pretty cool. We won a lot of big rodeos, including Pendleton (in 2024), which was a bucket-list win for us. Those were some big wins that are hard to come by.
Q: Dustin made the move to roping with his brother-in-law, JC Flake, in May of this year. How did you and Shay Carroll connect as a team, and how’s it gone for you guys?
A: It was kind of an out-of-the-blue deal, and with summertime coming up I was in a tough spot. I went down the line and called a few guys, and Shay’s the one who said yes. I knew he was dang sure a guy who could get me to the Finals after the winter I had, and it’s been good. We’ve had a few bad weeks, and a few really good weeks. We’ve maybe not been as consistent as we’d have liked, but we had a big win in Salt Lake City in July, and had another big hit for third at Calgary in August.
Q: How was it that you and Dustin re-joined forces for this summer’s NFR Open in Colorado Springs, and how much fun was it to make that little reunion count with the win?
A: Dustin and I won the Texas Circuit year-end title last year, in 2024, and that qualified us for the 2025 NFR Open. To get back together for a rodeo and win it was fun, and that $16,000 hit was pretty cool, too.
Q: Your dad, JB Lord, is a living legend in the Badlands Circuit. What were the most important lessons he taught you and brother Eli that you use in your cowboy career today?
A: He’s just taught us everything, and hauled us around to the rodeos since we were little kids. We were raised in the rodeo lifestyle, which is a great community to grow up in. He’s taught us everything about rodeo and how to win. He’s a very gritty, tough competitor. We learned from watching him that having that dog in you when it gets tough is a big advantage.
Q: Are you a better ranch cowboy or rodeo cowboy, and what’s the difference in the skills needed for success?
A: I’m for sure a better rodeo cowboy. We didn’t ranch much growing up. I like to help friends when they need ranch help, and the skills used to be pretty similar. But rodeo’s getting more specialized now. Most of the top guys just focus on one event, because it’s so tough out here. Rodeo takes all your resources and focus to be good enough to be out here competing in one thing.
Q: How different do things look back there roping behind Shay versus Dustin?
A: It’s a little bit of a different style. There’s not a ton different in the summer setups. But obviously as fast as Dustin ropes them in the shorter setups, the place in the arena where his head rope goes on is different than most other guys.
Q: At press time in September, Shay was on the bubble among headers and JC was a 2025 NFR longshot heeler. Have you and Dustin talked about your NFR Plan B if neither of your partners make it?
A: We haven’t talked about it, but I think it’s a given that we’ll rope together if that happens.
Q: What are the top three traits you look for when picking a partner?
A: You’ve got to have a strong base level of talent nowadays, because it’s so tough. Horsepower is huge, too. The last thing would be somebody who’s easy to get along with and be around. But the first two are definitely most important.
Q: Is there anything you refuse to tolerate in a partner?
A: I’ve never had to deal with any of that. Everybody I’ve roped with has been great. If they were impossible to get along with and made rodeo hell, that’d be another story. But you usually know what you’re getting into when you start rodeoing with somebody.
Q: Who, in your eyes, is the best heeler in the world in 2025, and why?
A: As a competitor I’d like to put myself up there in the conversation, but I’ll leave that for other people to debate. If I had to pick one person just for this year, I’d pick Jade (Corkill). He quit rodeoing for a few years, and in my eyes he’s been the best of this generation. Growing up watching him, then getting to compete against him—for him to come back like he has without missing a beat is amazing. He’s just so correct. He never gets in a bad spot, and rarely messes up.
Q: What have your first four NFRs taught you that’ll impact your 2025 NFR game plan, and will it be different in any way because of lessons learned along the way?
A: Just being there teaches you a lot. You know what to expect as far as all that goes on that week. As far as the roping part goes, you figure out what kind of horse works best in that building. With all the distractions, you just have to remember that you’re there to rope and compete. I like going there with a goal, and to remind myself that all the other stuff isn’t all that important. At my first two NFRs, I was just happy to be there and wanted to win some money. The last few years when I go in toward the top, I’m there to compete for the gold buckle. Winning the world is a realistic goal now.
—TRJ—
