PSN_Dec3 2028

TEAM ROPING HEELER

HEELER JUNIOR NOGUEIRA BATTLED ADVERSITY TO ENTER NFR NO. 1 By Zach Alvira J unior Nogueira’s 2025 PRORODEO season has been one of the most impressive of his career. But there was a point in time where it could have come to a halt. Just before the summer run, he and header Kaleb matter what. That’s what Nogueira did. He didn’t complain about the pain radiating through his broken bone and torn up knee. He embraced it as another challenge in his career. And he answered that challenge by putting together an incredible stretch of rodeos alongside Driggers.

Driggers were practicing. That’s when the horse Noguei ra was riding fell, pinning his leg and knee in an awk ward position. The result was a broken fibula for the three-time world champion, as well as some damage to his knee. He weighed his options and only took a short time off before getting back on a horse with the help of a knee brace. He walked gingerly on the right leg at every event. Luckily, the fibula is only 10% weight bearing. That allowed Nogueira to continue roping, albeit in pain and with horses he wasn’t familiar with. “I had some young horses I was going to train but then I broke my leg,” Nogueira said. “I got some horses from Kaleb and they’re really fast, so I had to sit down and couldn’t use my leg. We had to change our strategy but it worked out perfectly.” The “cowboy way” means overcoming injuries by any means necessary. Some are reluctant to have surgery. Others battle through it and continue to compete no

The two won the Eagle (Idaho) Rodeo, the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah, and were second at the Greeley (Colo.) Stampede following Nogueira’s injury. They progressively got better as his leg healed, picking up wins in Deadwood, S.D., and Abilene, Kan. A few more wins at key rodeos led to their performance in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup. That’s where the duo came away with nearly $50,000 each in earnings, securing the No. 1 header/heeler rank ings in the PRCA | Bill Fick Ford World Standings for the fourth time at the end of the regular season. “I was worried about not making it to the NFR,” Noguei ra admitted. “I didn’t rope the best but we worked with what we had, trained some horses and Kaleb roped great like usual. Getting to (Sioux Falls) made a big difference. “Being the season leader is important and special. But our main thing now is trying to stay ahead and we have work to do at the NFR.”

PRCA file photo by Hailey Rae

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DECEMBER 3, 2025