A Third World Championship is Well Within Reach for Header Kaleb Driggers

Meet the NFR Athletes is presented by Montana Silversmiths

Kaleb Driggers 2023 NFR.jpg

Jake Hodnett

Two-time World Champion Team Roping Header Kaleb Driggers has over a decade of National Finals Rodeo qualifications under his belt and he has added one more after another spectacular regular season.

He will back into the box in Round 1 at the Thomas and Mack as the No. 3 ranked header in the PRCA World Standings trailing the No. 1 man in the World Dustin Egusquiza by just $30,000. Driggers enters the NFR with $177,361, it took $263,227 and $340,708 to win him his two World Titles in 2021 and 2022.

Ponoka Stampede, $17,131

Driggers and long-time partner Junior Nogueira cashed in on his biggest payday of the regular season when he crossed into Canada for the Ponoka Stampede. While their times in the Performance 1 and 2 kept them in the Average, it was the 5.5 in the Showdown Round that landed Driggers and Nogueira in the winner’s circle on July 3.

Greeley Stampede, $4,206

While a no time in Round 1 took them out of the Average in Colorado, Driggers made sure the team made up for it when they won Round 2. The 3.6-second run did just what it needed to as it added to their pocketbooks.

St. Paul Rodeo, $10,493

A steady stream of wins came Driggers and Nogueira’s way over Cowboy Christmas but this biggest one of all came by way of Oregon, at the Fourth of July’s highest paying rodeo. A 4.8 made them your Round 1 winners before their Round 2 time of 5.4 seconds got them an eighth place check and second in the Average.

Ponoka, Greeley and St. Paul all concluded within three days of each other, and at the end of it, Driggers went from No. 9 to No. 3 in the World.

NFR Open, $16,000

Staying hot in July, they did not slow down one bit when they rolled into Colorado Springs. Driggers/Nogueira made up for a no time in Round 1 with a 4.6 that luckily advanced them. They bested that time by two tenths of a second in the winner-take-all Finals to claim their second highest payday of the season.

Cheyenne Frontier Days, $12,742

An 8.5 in the Qualifying Round at the Daddy of ‘Em All was fast enough to bring them back. In the performances, Driggers and Nogueira shut the clock off at 10.0 to move on. Their Semifinals time of 10.3 would land them in the Finals where they finished third.

North Dakota Roughrider Cup, $11,170

A quick stop in Mandan proved good to Driggers and Nogueira in the final days of the 2024 regular season. Their 4.1-second run was just what they needed to finish inside the Top 3 and strike a hefty payday to put a bow on another successful regular season.

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