ProRodeo Sports News - July 27, 2018

card happened, and it just kept happening and happening,” Driggers said. The K-Days Rodeo waited a bit for Nogueira. “I want to thank the Canadians for doing that for me,” Nogueira said, noting that he didn’t even have a hat when he arrived. “Kaleb had the ropes there for me, and I was running down. Then Ty Harris said, ‘Go! Go! Go!’ and I grabbed a hat and went off running. As soon as I got there, the first team was in the box and we were

VIDEO

seven or six out. We made a good run and won the rodeo, that was our best one ever.”

“You know there are tough times, so you get it together and do it again and keep it going and keep pushing,” Nogueira said. “Kaleb is roping good, and everything has been a blessing with good horses and good health.” Before winning the K-Days Rodeo, Driggers was seventh and Nogueira was eighth in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. Driggers remained in seventh among the team roping headers and Nogueira moved up to sixth among the team roping heelers. “It helps us a lot, and the timing is important to get a good check like that and jump up in the standings and make the Finals,” Nogueira said. They’re also ranked second in the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Standings with 575 points each. The Top 24 competitors in the Tour standings in each event will earn a spot at the Justin Finale in Puyallup, Wash., Sept. 6-9. “We got the ball rolling in our favor and want to keep the morale positive and do the best we can,” Driggers said. The ball kept rolling in their favor, as they won the Spanish Fork (Utah) Fiesta Days Rodeo. Their $8,637 win in Utah combined with Edmonton to add up to $18,620 won in two days. It’s no secret Driggers and Nogueira want to win the world title in team roping after finishing second in the world standings the last two years. “We work hard at it, and I think, God willing, when it’s our time it’ll be our time,” Driggers said. “I try to hit the same ones every year, nothing too crazy but rodeo hard enough to give ourselves a chance. The summer has a huge impact.” Nogueira has the same goal. “The last couple of years have been so close, and we’ve given 100 percent and it didn’t happen,” Nogueira said. “We’re going to give it everything we can. Everything happens on God’s time. … It could be this year, and if not, we’ll keep at it and see how it goes. “It’s crazy because every year you’re learning something about roping, about everything.”

Driggers feels the same way about their K-Days Rodeo experience. “The craziest part was getting to that rodeo,” Driggers said. “That was a feat in itself, and it was a photo finish to end up winning it. In my perspective, that’s all God’s work – fromme being in the right cab with the right person and making it all work together was crazy.” GOLD ONTHEIR MINDS Although they don’t compete in Canada often, they’re familiar with Edmonton after competing there last year for the first time. At the 2017 K-Days Rodeo, they placed sixth with a 4.8-second run and won $4,714. Driggers and Nogueira won the 2018 K-Days Rodeo by one-tenth of a second with a 4.2-second run and went home with $9,983. “That’s an awesome rodeo with how much they pay,” Nogueira said. “It’s amazing, and right now it’s important to make the Finals.” Driggers agreed about how important big wins like the K-Days Rodeo are during the summer run. “It’s a big jump for us because we’ve had a slow year so far,” Driggers said. “That will jump us up there and give us a better chance to seal our deal for making the Finals.” Driggers rode his 14-year-old, gray American Quarter Horse, Yahtzee, and Nogueira rode Brady Minor’s horse, Sug. “Sug is a great horse,” Nogueira said. “I always liked that horse, but never rode him – he was a great horse and I want to thank the Minors for that, too.” Driggers rode Yahtzee in 2014, but sold him to Dustin Bird, before buying him back earlier this year. “He’s real honest and moves his feet in those small buildings,” Driggers said of Yahtzee. The winter run was a little slow for the duo, as they didn’t break into the Top 15 until April 23.

TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. (tie) Rhen Richard .................... 7.3 sec. Trevor Brazile ....................................7.3 3. Three tied at .....................................7.6

BARREL RACING 1. Nikki Hansen ...................... 13.664 sec. 2. Tillar Murray ...............................13.849 3. Lynette Brodoway .......................13.891 4. Taylor Manning ...........................13.896

BULL RIDING 1. (tie) Scott Schiffner ....................87 pts. Brock Radford ...................................87 3. Jordan Hansen ..................................86 4. Roscoe Jarboe ..............................85.25

Complete results on Page 64

ProRodeo Sports News 7/27/2018

ProRodeo.com

43