As the 2025 PRCA regular season comes to a close, the Southeastern Circuit saw a leaderboard change with veteran Keven Daniel and young gun Parker Carbajal.
Daniel, 46, started roping with Carbajal, 24, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, around Labor Day weekend in 2024, and the team has been steadily winning ever since. As of Sept. 21, they sit atop the Southeastern Circuit leaderboard with $23,484 and $23,273 won, respectively.
Their winning kicked off in January 2025, when they won Columbus, Georgia, for $1,164 a man. From there, they were second at the Brighton Field Day Festival & Rodeo in Okeechobee, Florida, to take home $1,970 a man; won the Okeechobee Cowtown Rodeo in March for $1,838 apiece; pocketed $1,748 apiece in Franklin, Tennessee, in May; and placed at several circuit rodeos over the summer.
“It’s just clicked together really good,” Daniel said. “It’s been a really good year, and we’ve got a lot of confidence in each other. We catch a lot of steers together.”
“We’ve roped together enough now that I know our timing is good,” Carbajal added. “I know when it is going to happen; it’s made it a lot easier.”
Four-time NFR qualifier Daniel is no stranger to winning on the ProRodeo trail. The Franklin, Tennessee, cowboy finished second in the average and fourth in the world at the 2012 NFR with partner Chase Tryan.
Roping with a ProRodeo veteran does make things easier, according to Carbajal.
“It’s nice, no doubt,” Carbajal said. “He takes care of a lot of the important stuff; all I have to do is worry about catching.”
The confidence in their run comes from both of their ability to take risks at the right time.
“Roping has changed so much since I was rodeoing out there,” Daniel admitted. “I always felt like my dad put it into me to be a very consistent roper, not screw up and to score really good. Parker is the type of heeler that, if you need to catch and go be six-flat to win the rodeo, he knows he can catch. Or, if we’ve got to be four, he’s pretty good at throwing fast. His roping is very disciplined.”
When asked what he prefers between taking a chance or taking the extra swing, he admitted it just depends.
“It’s gone both ways before,” Carbajal said. “I’ve taken the extra swing and shouldn’t have. But, then again, if you’re in the right spot, sometimes you have to take another swing, then sometimes you don’t have to, and it works out good.”
Their horsepower has also played a part in their new place at the top.
Daniel has a herd of bay geldings he relies on. Hal I Can, “Marshall,” is the 2010 model he rides for longer starts and bigger arenas. Spikes Ole Man, “Walt,” is the 2006 gelding Daniel says is a winner no matter the scenario. Finally, there is JW Frosty Sixpack, “JW,” the 2002 model Daniel has had in his string since he was rodeoing full time, who gets the call at the shorter setups.
“Speedy (Williams) said a long time ago, ‘You’ve got to have a lot of bullets,’” Daniel said. “I took that to heart.”
For Carbajal, Blu Luv Bug, “Replay,” has been his main mount all season, which came into his string while he was college rodeoing in Texas a few years ago.
“Since after college, he has been my main horse,” he said. “He’s gotten pretty solid these last few years.”
The Southeastern Circuit guys now have their sights set on the NFR Open in July 2026.
