ProRodeo Sports News - December 16, 2022

TEAM ROPING WORLD CHAMPIONS

Header Kaleb Driggers, front, and his partner heeler Junior Nogueira compete during the 2022 Wrangler NFR. The duo earned $112,830 each at the NFR. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Phil Doyle

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Click Thompson

Repeat Champions

The duo started fast in their fifth NFR appearance together. Driggers and Nogueira collected checks in three of the first four rounds, putting the competition on notice. Following a sixth-place finish in Round 4, the two slowed down. They continued to catch steers, just not at the pace they had hoped. Despite not winning a go-round, the ropers stayed strong in the average. It was their ticket back to the top. They finished second, notching 71.4 seconds on nine head. Driggers/Nogueira finished atop their respective world standings with $340,708. They earned $112,830 each at the NFR and finished second in the average with a 71.4-second time on nine head. “It was one of the toughest Finals (without winning a round), especially for me. Kaleb did an amazing job of keeping me up. A great job. Perhaps, I just humbled myself a little bit, I guess,” said Nogueira. “We had to fight through

it. There’s nothing easy. We always compete against the best guys in the whole world, and they don’t make it easy on anyone. We were blessed to be good in the average, and we really had to catch that last one, a tough steer. We were able to do it. And you have to give all the glory to God.” During the regular season, they delivered wins in bunches, highlighted by the $20,000 check after winning the Fort Worth (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo and a record-breaking Cowboy Christmas run, where they pocketed $35,152 each. The bond between them proves more valuable with each passing season. It’s a friendship Driggers will be forever thankful for. “We have had a very blessed year. Getting to travel and compete with this guy is a blessing,” Driggers said. “He’s a great model for me and to anyone he comes into contact with. To be his partner is special. After six years, this is truly special. I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else but him.”

Driggers & Nogueira take buckles for the second year in a row

BY DAGIN RENCK Special to ProRodeo Sports News L ast December, team ropers Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira broke through, reaching the pinnacle for the first time after years of falling short. This year, they entered as Vegas atop the RAM | World Standings after a record-breaking regular season and never looked back. It wasn’t easy. The pair scratched and clawed their way to the finish line. In a sport with no guarantees, world titles serve as

a testament to the hard work. “This is what we’ve always dreamed about, being here and

winning a gold buckle. This week we had a lot of trials and tribulations,” said Driggers. “We had to overcome them. It didn’t go as exactly as we planned. At the end of the day, we kept our faith in the Lord and our faith in each other and we persevered.”

ProRodeo Sports News 12/16/2022

ProRodeo Sports News 12/16/2022

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