Junior Nogueira is looking to make it three in a row this December at the Thomas & Mack after back-to-back seasons in which he dominated the team roping heeling from start to finish.
Nogueira enters the NFR in the No. 2 spot on the heel side behind Wesley Thorp. He is currently $12,000 behind Thorp heading to Las Vegas. However, he and partner Kaleb Driggers each ranked first in the PRCA in Average Time.
BIGGEST PAYDAYS
Reno Rodeo, $18,282
Reno was a great week for Driggers and Nogueira as they earned over $18,000 apiece to kickoff 100 Rodeos in 100 Days. The two opened with a second-place finish in Round 1 after a 4.9-second run. In Round 2, the pair finished fifth, and in the Finals, they placed second. Abig payday of more than $9,000 came thanks to an Average win in which the team was 18.4 seconds on three.
Ellensburg Rodeo (Washington), $9,478
Driggers/Nogueira opened the rodeo with a Round 1 win after a 4.6-second run. They failed to place in the Second Round but would advance to the Finals, where he placed third with a 6.7-second run to win the Average. They were more than a second clear of the rest of the field as they were 17 seconds on three and Bubba Buckaloo/JR Gonzalez were second with 18.1.
Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, $8,260
It was a great showing at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo for Driggers/Nogueira. The pair made a total of five qualified runs on their way to first place finish in both Bracket 6, Round 2 and the Wild Card Round. Ultimately, they finished fourth in the Finals.
FASTEST RUNS
West Texas State Fair Pro Rodeo, 3.9 Second
Driggers and Nogueira posted one of two 3.9-second runs this season at the West Texas State Fair Pro Rodeo in September. The run came in Round 1 and it won the round by one tenth of a second. The run earned the pair just under $1,800 and they would go on to win fourth in the Average.
Snake River Stampede (Idaho), 3.9 Seconds
The other 3.9-second run of the year came at the Snake River Stampede for Driggers and Nogueira. It was an impressive day of roping as the run would be good for second place in Finals with Clay Smith and Coleby Payne taking the round with a 3.7-second run. Driggers/Nogueira also placed in Round 1 at the rodeo and finished third in the Average to win more than $6,000.
NOTABLE WINS
Farm-City Pro Rodeo (Oregon), 10.0 Seconds on Two
Driggers/Nogueira won the opening round with a 4.3-second run and added a 5.7-second time in Round 2. They would win the average by four tenths by going 10.0 seconds on two. The win paid $7,200 total.
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