The team roping at the 2024 National Finals Rodeo took many forms over the course of 10 rounds, so much so that the eventual World Champions Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp did not really know what they needed to do in Round 10 following misses from Coleman Proctor and Clay Smith.

It didn’t end up mattering, they were 3.8 to shut the door and win their second straight Gold Buckle. They return as the No. 8 pair in 2025 and will have to go through another pair of two-time World Champions, Kaleb Driggers and Junior Noguiera.

After a 2025 regular season that was just as topsy-turvy as the previous years’ NFR, Driggers/Nogueira both enter No. 1 with leads of $15,000 and $35,000 respectively.

 

1. Kaleb Driggers – $198,497.72

Driggers, a two-time World Champion, took the lead by winning the Governor’s Cup on the season’s final weekend. His Qualified Time Percentage was tops in the PRCA.

2. Tanner Tomlinson – $183,807.11

Tomlinson has made the NFR three of the last four years and finished second at the Governor’s Cup to go along with wins in Salinas and Fort Worth this season.

3. Derrick Begay – $166,201.94

The RodeoHouston champion made it three NFRs in a row and 12 overall in 2025.

4. Clint Summers – $161,241.61

Summers teamed up with Jade Corkill and went from outside the Top 30 into the Top 5 during the Summer Run. His Average Time ranks second in the PRCA.

5. Dustin Egusquiza – $160,703.39

Egusquiza’s nine wins tied him for the most in the PRCA. He was victorious at the NFR Open, San Antonio, and Canby among others. This will be his eighth NFR since 2017.

6. Clay Smith – $143,366.47

Smith has now made 11 straight NFRs and is coming off of a third place finish in the Average in 2024. He ranks in the Top 5 in Qualified Time Percentage and Average Time.

7. Andrew Ward – $149,054.75

Ward got into World Title contention with a win at the Roughrider Cup, which was one of several big wins this season. He also won The Calgary Stampede Team Roping and Greeley Stampede.

8. Tyler Wade – $143,366

Wade and partner Wesley Thorp are looking to dominate in the Thomas & Mack for a third straight year after a “below average” regular season by their recent standards.

9. Cyle Denison – $142,002.37

Dension finished the season with a third place finish at the Governor’s Cup to crack the Top 10 and make his second straight NFR.

10. Dawson Graham – $131,934.01

After three straight Top 30 finishes, the Canadian cowboy is making his first trip to Las Vegas.

11. Jake Smith – $125,537.03

Smith needs just $28,000 at the NFR to make this year the winningest of his career, which would break the mark he set in his first NFR season a year ago.

12. Riley Minor – $125,025.27

Minor tied for third in the PRCA with eight wins and his Average Time ranked fourth.

13. Luke Brown – $123,302.92

Brown’s Qualified Time Percentage in 2025 was second to only Kaleb Driggers. The 51-year-old is making his 16th trip to the Finals and has done so with three different partners over the last three seasons.

14. Kolton Schmidt: $119,938.20

For the first time since 2020, Schmidt is going to the NFR, where he will have a chance to clear $1,000,000 in career earnings.

15. Lightning Aguilera – $114,735.75

Aguilera has the fastest Average Time in the PRCA, but caught at the lowest rate among NFR qualifiers.

 

1. Junior Nogueira – $198,498

He has partnered with Driggers for two World Titles in 2021 and 2022 and has a larger lead than his partner as he enters the NFR with a $35,000 cushion.

2. Colter Todd – $163,850

Todd just missed out on the 2024 NFR, but in 2023, he and partner Derrick Begay won the Average. Todd finished third in the World that season.

3. Jade Corkill – $161,566

The three-time World Champion came out of retirement to rope with Clint Summers and the pair immediately clicked. Corkill led all heelers in Average Time and was second in Qualified Time Percentage.

4. Levi Lord – $158,322

Lord leads all heelers in runs of 4.0 Seconds or Faster and is reuniting with his old partner Dustin Egusquiza. They split up during the 2025 Summer Run, but had a pair of Top 10 finishes roping together in 2023 and 2024.

5. Travis Graves – $149,919

This will be Graves’ 16th NFR and 15th in the last 16 years. He is roping with Tanner Tomlinson at the NFR for the first time this season.

6. Coleby Payne – $149,293

In Payne’s NFR debut a year ago, he and partner Clay Smith finished third in the Average. He and Smith won the San Angelo Cinch Chute Out together in 2025.

7. Jake Long – $147,308

Roping with Clint Summers the past two years at the NFR, Long finished second in the Average in 2024 and won four rounds in 2023, finishing both years as the Reserve World Champion. He is roping with Andrew Ward in Las Vegas this year.

8. Wesley Thorp – $143,366

Thorp and his partner Tyler Wade have won the last two World Titles. Last year, they only had six qualified times at the NFR, but five of them were 3.8 or faster.

9. Lane Mitchell – $143,032

At 31-years-old, Mitchell is making his NFR debut in 2025. Prior to this year, he had five straight Top 50 finishes, the best of which was No. 16 in 2022. He was also third in the PRCA Playoff Standings in 2025.

10. Dillon Graham – $131,934

Dillon and his brother Dawson have been to six straight CNFRs and were the Canadian Champions in 2022. This will be their first NFR.

11. Brady Minor – $125,025

Another pair of brothers, Brady is at his first NFR since 2022 alongside his brother Riley.

12. Trey Yates – $123,303

In his first NFR since 2022, Yates will be roping with veteran Luke Brown. The last time he was here, he won three Go-Rounds alongside Tyler Wade.

13. Douglas Rich – $114,787

Rich made $95,848 at his first NFR a year ago and returns with the same partner, Jake Smith.

14. Kaden Profili – $113,356

Profili won over $25,000 to battle his way off the bubble, but will be without his partner Brenten Hall. He will be roping with Lightning Aguilera.

15. Jonathan Torres – $111,672

It Torres’ fourth straight NFR, but second year in a row he will not be roping with his regular season partner.

Qualified Time Percentage

1. Kaleb Driggers – 76.1% (83/109)
2. Luke Brown – 69.6% (94/135)
3. Clint Summers – 67.2% (82/122)
4. Andrew Ward – 67.4% (85/126)
5. Clay Smith – 66.6% (84/126)
6. Derrick Begay – 65.7% (71/108)
7. Jake Smith – 65.3% (85/130)
8. Kolton Schmidt – 65.1% (73/112)
9. Tanner Tomlinson – 62.2% (84/135)
10. Cyle Denison – 60.7% (79/130)
11. Dawson Graham – 60.3% (64/106)
12. Dustin Egusquiza – 58.9% (82/139)
13. Riley Minor – 58.9% (66/112)
14. Tyler Wade – 55.1% (70/127)
15. Lightning Aguilera – 52.0% (64/123)

Average Time

1. Lightning Aguilera – 6.61
2. Clint Summers – 6.63
3. Kaleb Driggers – 6.99
4. Riley Minor – 7.00
5. Clay Smith – 7.19
6. Kolton Schmidt – 7.25
7. Derrick Begay – 7.51
8. Tanner Tomlinson – 7.59
9. Dustin Egusquiza – 7.59
10. Dawson Graham – 7.83
11. Andrew Ward – 7.85
12. Tyler Wade – 7.92
13. Jake Smith – 8.07
14. Luke Brown – 8.07
15. Cyle Denison – 8.14

4.5 Second or Faster Runs

1. Lightning Aguilera – 27
2. Kaleb Driggers – 25
3. Tanner Tomlinson – 25
4. Dustin Egusquiza – 25
5. Clay Smith – 17
6. Tyler Wade – 16
7. Cyle Dension – 15
8. Clint Summers – 14
9. Derrick Begay – 11
10. Jake Smith – 11
11. Dawson Graham – 10
12. Luke Brown – 10
13. Andrew Ward – 9
14. Kolton Schmidt – 7
15. Riley Minor – 6

4.0 Second or Faster Runs

1. Dustin Egusquiza – 14
2. Lightning Aguilera – 12
3. Tanner Tomlinson – 10
4. Clay Smith – 9
5. Kaleb Driggers – 6
6. Tyler Wade – 5
7. Derrick Begay – 4
8. Clint Summers – 4
9. Cyle Denison – 4
10. Luke Brown – 3
11. Andrew Ward – 2
12. Dawson Graham – 2
13. Riley Minor – 2
14. Kolton Schmidt – 2
15. Jake Smith – 0

Rodeo Wins

1. Kaleb Driggers – 9
2. Dustin Egusquiza – 9
3. Tyler Wade – 8
4. Riley Minor – 8
5. Lightning Aguilera – 8
6. Andrew Ward – 7
7. Tanner Tomlinson – 6
8. Clint Summers – 6
9. Dawson Graham – 5
10. Cyle Denison – 4
11. Derrick Begay – 3
12. Clay Smith – 3
13. Kolton Schmidt – 3
14. Jake Smith – 2
15. Luke Brown – 1

 

QUALIFIED TIME PERCENTAGE

1. Junior Nogueira – 76.1% (83/109)
2. Jade Corkill – 70.9% (83/117)
3. Trey Yates – 69.4% (93/134)
4. Jake Long – 67.4% (83/123)
5. Coleby Payne – 67.2% (84/125)
6. Colter Todd – 65.4% (70/107)
7. Douglas Rich – 64.0% (80/125)
8. Kaden Profili – 62.5% (87/139)
9. Levi Lord – 60.5% (83/137)
10. Dillon Graham – 60.3% (64/106)
11. Lane Mitchell – 60.1% (77/128)
12. Travis Graves – 59.6% (74/124)
13. Brady Minor – 58.9% (66/112)
14. Jonathan Torres – 57.7% (78/135)
15. Wesley Thorp – 55.1% (70/127)

AVERAGE TIME

1. Jade Corkill – 6.63
2. Coleby Payne – 6.93
3. Junior Nogueira – 6.99
4. Brady Minor – 7.00
5. Levi Lord – 7.25
6. Jonathan Torres – 7.33
7. Colter Todd – 7.54
8. Jake Long – 7.65
9. Travis Graves – 7.69
10. Dillon Graham – 7.83
11. Kaden Profili – 7.85
12. Wesley Thorp – 7.92
13. Douglas Rich – 8.06
14. Lane Mitchell – 8.08
15. Trey Yates – 8.10

4.5 SECOND OR FASTER RUNS

1. Junior Nogueira – 25
2. Levi Lord – 25
3. Travis Graves – 20
4. Lane Mitchell – 17
5. Wesley Thorp – 16
6. Jade Corkill – 14
7. Kaden Profili – 14
8. Coleby Payne – 13
9. Colter Todd – 11
10. Jonathan Torres – 11
11. Dillon Graham – 10
12. Douglas Rich – 10
13. Trey Yates – 10
14. Jake Long – 9
15. Brady Minor – 6

4.0 SECOND OR FASTER RUNS

1. Levi Lord – 12
2. Travis Graves – 8
3. Kaden Profili – 7
4. Junior Nogueira – 6
5. Coleby Payne – 6
6. Jade Corkill – 5
7. Wesley Thorp – 5
8. Lane Mitchell – 5
9. Jonathan Torres – 4
10. Colter Todd – 4
11. Trey Yates – 3
12. Jake Long – 2
13. Dillon Graham – 2
14. Brady Minor – 2
15. Doulgas Rich – 0

RODEO WINS

1. Junior Nogueira – 9
2. Wesley Thorp – 8
3. Brady Minor – 8
4. Jake Long – 7
5. Jade Corkill – 6
6. Travis Graves – 6
7. Dillon Graham – 5
8. Levi Lord – 4
9. Lane Mitchell – 4
10. Colter Todd – 3
11. Kaden Profili – 3
12. Jonathan Torres – 3
13. Coleby Payne – 2
14. Douglas Rich – 2
15. Trey Yates – 1

 

This episode of No Huddle Rodeo, presented by Justin Boots and Runyon’s Fine Furniture, breaks down the 2025 National Finals Rodeo team roping headers and the cowboys most likely to be a factor in the World Title race.

Kaleb Driggers, the 2021 and 2022 World Champ, enters Las Vegas on top, holding nearly a $15,000 lead and backing it up with elite consistency, a 76% qualified time rate, and several fast runs on indoor setups like the Thomas & Mack.

Tyler Wade, who won in 2023 and 2024, sits lower in the World Standings, at No. 8, but can’t be counted out, especially with his track record of early round dominance alongside Wesley Thorp.

The numbers don’t lie: winning times keep dropping. What won a round at 3.8 a few years ago might not crack the Top 3 night to night in Las Vegas now. Sub-3.7-second runs are the new standard to take a victory lap and 4 flat is what you have to target to get paid. That’s where ropers like Dustin Eguquiza, Tanner Tomlinson, and Clay Smith enter the conversation.

Keep an eye out for them as well as Clint Summers, who formed a dangerous pairing with three-time World Champion Jade Corkill at the beginning of the Summer Run.

 

In this episode of No Huddle Rodeo presented by Justin Boots and Runyon’s Fine Furniture, we take an in-depth look at the heelers heading into the National Finals Rodeo, and the race is a lot tighter than the standings suggest.

Junior Noguiera comes in with a $35,000 lead and sits in a great position for a third World Title, but the gap between No. 1 and No. 2 on the heel and head side could easily create split World Champions in team roping this year.

Every dollar is going to matter. Wesley Thorp and his header Tyler Wade know how to win when things get chaotic, and they can certainly rise from No. 8 in the World to win a third straight title. When the pressure hits, they get better.

Dustin Egusquiza and Levi Lord might be the fastest team in the building on paper, but consistency at the NFR has been their biggest obstacle. If they clean that up, they can absolutely change the leaderboard.

Also watch out for Jade Corkill, who is fresh out of retirement and roping with Clint Summers. The pair immediately clicked for a monster Summer Run.