Kaleb Driggers & Junior Nogueira On The Run They Almost Didn't Make

They were the epitome of “calm and cool” when they backed in the box, but the day that led up to Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira’s run at the K-Days Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta, was anything but easy.

Watch the K-Days Rodeo LIVE on FloRodeo July 20 to 22. 

“It was kind of wild,” Kaleb said. “We got up at 5 o’clock this morning and started heading this way. We were supposed to go from Salt Lake to Seattle to here. Well, when we get over to Salt Lake this morning they tell Junior that his passport expired two days ago so he couldn’t come with me.”

From there, the two parted ways and hoped that Nogueira could make it on time. Driggers got on the flight and made it to Edmonton in time to get ready, while Nogueira got a rental car in Seattle, drove across the border (you only have to produce some kind of proof of citizenship at land crossings), and into Vancouver, British Columbia, where he got on a flight to Edmonton.

The only issue? His flight didn’t land until 7 PM and the rodeo started at 6:30 PM. 

All Driggers could do was sit and wait to see if his partner would make it. In a flurry, Nogueira hustled into the building less than five minutes before he needed to make his run, borrowed a hat, shirt, adjusted the stirrups right in front of the box on a borrowed horse and the pair made a 4.2-second run like it was a day off. 

“It’s been a long day. I drove really fast from Seattle to Vancouver and we just barely made it,” said Nogueira. “Thank you everybody, the people that waited on us, and the committee here that helped us a little bit to give us a chance and the guys that came and picked me up, thank you so much.

“Glad we made a good run, thank God.”

Even with everything against him and the stress he no doubt was feeling from the whirlwind day, Driggers had faith in the heeler he’s been roping with for the past several years. 

“I told myself there ain’t no way he’s going to miss that steer after all the stuff he’s had to go through today just to make it here,” said Driggers. “We had a great steer and just made our run; hopefully it’s good enough.”

There are two performances left to go at the K-Days Rodeo to see how that run will hold up.