ProRodeo Sports News - 2021 Year End Edition

the records I’m breaking and putting my name down in history which will last a lot longer than I’m alive. That’s much more valuable than any business or any piece of land, I could leave for my kids. “The Feild name, the Feild legacy that my dad (late ProRodeo Hall of Famer Lewis Feild) started is something I’m very proud of. I’m very proud of the heritage and legacy and everything that represents. This is a very big one for me. It’s hard to talk to tell you the truth. It is a lot of fun.” Feild has won world championships in 2011-14 and 2019-20. He broke the all-time bareback riding world championship tie at five with ProRodeo Hall of Famers Joe Alexander and Bruce Ford. Feild clinched his latest title with his 89.5-point ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s New Scarlet. That placed him second in the round, which earned him $21,336. He also placed second in the average with 872.5 points on 10 head. Pope won the average with 873 points and collected $69,234, but Feild earned $56,171 to hold off Pope. Feild also won the RAMTop Gun Award with $231,564. The Top Gun Award goes to the NFR contestant who wins the most money in one event not counting ground money. WAGUESPACK NABS THIRD STEER WRESTLING TITLE Tyler Waguespack is back on PRCA’s championship throne. The Gonzales, La., cowboy won his third world championship by earning $289,791. Waguespack, who also won world crowns in 2016 and 2018, finished third in Round 10 with a 4.2-second run to collect $16,111 and then finished second in the average with a 48.1-second time on 10 head to earn $56,171. Will Lummus, who won the average, finished second in the world standings with $248,168. “This one I think is a little bit better, I felt like I came out of nowhere after having that broken barrier (in Round 2 with a 13.1-second run),” Waguespack said. “I just had to keep my foot on the gas and had to keep winning every single round. At no point in the 10 rounds did I safety up, it was full steam ahead all the way.”

Smidt clocked a 7.8-second time in Round 10 to secure his third world title and third NFR average title. The Texas cowboy finished his season with $318,455. Smidt also won world championships and average titles in 2015 and 2018. “I had a great calf tonight,” Smidt said. “They placed on her twice, I think. She was awesome and my horse was lights out all week, he has been great. He’s gave me a chance all week from slow calves to fast calves, he gives me a chance every time I back in there. There was lots of praying that week and God came through in all 10 rounds and I’m just blessed to be here.” Smidt won the average with 83.1 seconds on 10 head. TEAM ROPERS DRIGGERS AND NOGUEIRA WIN GOLD The wait is over for standout team ropers Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira. The duo won their first team roping header and team roping heeler world titles. Driggers finished with $263,227 and Nogueira earned $277,612. Back in 2016, Nogueira became the first Brazilian world champion in PRCA history by winning the all-around world title. He now becomes the first Brazilian to win a team roping world championship. “This is awesome to achieve this dream,” Nogueira said. “We have been really close and worked really hard to do this. If God’s not in control and he’s not out in the front it is not our time. We have been here before and had the experience and Kaleb did a great job like always. I wanted to heel behind this guy, and I think God put us together for us a reason and I want to glorify God for this title.” Driggers and Nogueira finished third in the average with a 52.6-second time on nine head. They had a 7.1-second time in Round 10 to secure their titles. “We have been in this situation a lot and to finally have it go our way is amazing,” Driggers said. “I’m kind of a numbers guy so I kind of had it all mapped out and knew what we needed to be. Until they came back and told us we had won we still were not sure just because I have been so close so many times. I have been runner-up to the world champion four times and to finally get over the hump is great and without God we would not be here.”

KIMZEY ADDS SEVENTH WORLD TITLE TO HIS COLLECTION

Sage Kimzey is once again atop PRCA’s bull riding

mountain.

Kimzey captured his seventh bull riding world championship in eight years, earning $411,465. Kimzey only trails Don Gay who finished his career with a PRCA record eight bull riding world championships. Kimzey won third in the average and held off Josh Frost, who finished second in the world standings with $363,353. Kimzey clinched his crown by splitting second in Round 10 with his 88-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Greeley Hat Works Centerfold. “Yeah, I mean it was a long 10 days for sure,” Kimzey said. “But it’s the best 10 days of our lives every year so it’s just fun. There’s a lot of ups and downs but at the end of the day it’s the NFR.” Kimzey finished fifth in the world standings a year ago and was thrilled to be a world champ again. “For sure, I wanted to be at the top always,” Kimzey said. “It was one of those things where last year didn’t go as planned so I just get back on, try harder, and do better.”

TIE-DOWN ROPER SMIDT TAKES THIRD CHAMPIONSHIP

Tie-down roper Caleb Smidt always seems to rope

Kaycee Feild comes out of the bucking chutes in Round 7 of the NFR.

his best at the Wrangler NFR.

Click Thompson photo

That trend continued in 2021.

ProRodeo Sports News 12/17/2021

ProRodeo.com

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