We have entered the final month of the 2022 regular season and there is still a lot to be determined entering the NFR. Here is a look at the Top 20 Headers in the world and how their month of August played out.
1. Kaleb Driggers, $208,707
Driggers has been a model of consistency, and that continued through August and into the early days of September. He finished August with a second-place finish at the Kitsap Stampede and followed that up with a win at the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo. Those two performances won Driggers and partner Junior Nogueira over $12,000.
2. Clay Tryan, $140,942
Tryan has struggled over the last couple of weeks, cashing just two checks over $1,000 in his last 15 performances. Tryan is still in a great spot heading into what will be his 20th career NFR appearance.
3. Andrew Ward, $110,509
Ward enters the last month of the season in a good spot and him and his partner Buddy Hawkins are roping well. The two are coming off a win at the Golden Spike Rodeo where they went 4.3 seconds to win over $3,700.
4. Dustin Egusquiza, $99,520
Egusquiza is on quite the stretch with partner Travis Graves. The two won the Kitsap Stampede after a 3.9-second run and followed that up with a third-place finish in Ellensburg.
5. Rhen Richard, $95,200
It has been a tough stretch for Richard who has failed to cash a substantial check in his last 10 performances. He and partner Jeremy Buhler are currently in first place in Walla Walla, so their cold stretch could be coming to an end.
6. Jr. Dees, $92,819
Dees had a strong showing at the Kitsap Stampede where he went 4.2 seconds and placed fourth in the rodeo. The run earned him and his partner Levi Lord over $2,000 each.
7. Tanner Tomlinson, $91,494
Tomlinson and his partner Patrick Smith have been on a tear of late. The two have earned over $14,000 in their last four performances alone, including a second-place finish at the Tancho Mission Viejo Rodeo which paid over $8,000.
8. Coleman Proctor, $89,062
Proctor is heading to his seventh career NFR come December. His month of August was highlighted by a win in Fallon County where he earned $3,600.
9. Riley Minor, $82,448
Minor didn’t have any big wins to end the month of August, but the brothers did earn three checks of at least $1,300 in a week’s time.
10. Chad Masters, $80,916
The two-time World Champion has struggled of late, failing to earn a check in 15 pf 16 performances.
11. Lightning Aguilera, $77,979
Aguilera’s month ended on a positive note with a third-place finish at the Golden Spike Rodeo where he won over $3,300.
12. Cody Snow, $76,810
Snow ended August with a bang, winning the Norco Mounted Posse Rodeo after a 4.5-second run.
13. Tyler Wade, $76,320
Wade and Trey Yates have had a strong week after the two won the round in Ellensburg right after winning over $3,900 in California at the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo.
14. Jake Clay, $72,115
Clay’s month was highlighted by a fourth-place finish in San Juan Capistrano, California where he went 5.0 seconds and earned over $6,300.
15. Aaron Tsinigine, $71,710
The second half of August was kind to Tsinigine. In total, he earned over $13,000 in the last two weeks of the month, highlighted by a check of over $5,000 at the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo.
16. Cory Kidd, $68,736
Kidd is within $3,000 of his first career NFR at the age of 32. He was another big winner at the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo earning just under $4,000.
17. Bubba Buckaloo, $68,286
Buckaloo and his partner Joseph Harrison won over $7,000 at the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo after a 4.6-second run.
18. Clay Smith, $68,268
Smith is in unfamiliar territory on the outside looking in when it comes to qualifying for the NFR. He has been to seven straight NFRs and finished sixth or higher in six of them.
19. Jeff Flenniken, $68,264
Flenniken has failed to earn a check over $1,000 in his last ten performances.
20. Erich Rogers, $68,256
Rogers is in an unfamiliar position, finishing the last two seasons in second and third respectively. He and Paden Bray have been better of late, winning the Gem State Stampede and the Golden Spike Rodeo in the last two weeks.
