No. 15: Cory Kidd | $36,226.59
Raised in Statesville, North Carolina, Cory Kidd comes from a family whose rodeo roots stretch back generations. A four-time National High School Finals Rodeo qualifier and 2008 NHSFR team roping champ, Kidd developed his skills far from the traditional team roping hotbeds before relocating to Texas. Kidd narrowly missing his first NFR qualification in 2022, finishing the season No. 16. In 2026, Kidd had a big hit worth $12,234 at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver and another one at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo for $8,256.
New faces on the heel side
No. 1: Cooper Freeman | $95,654.61
Cooper Freeman grew up on the Missouri-Oklahoma border in Carthage, Missouri, where team roping was a way of life but professional rodeo wasn’t a common path. After getting his start at USTRC ropings and amateur rodeos, Freeman headed to Cisco College where he was immersed in a more competitive environment. While living with Tyler Worley in college, Freeman learned a lot from the three-time NFR heeler. Inspired by legends like three-time World Champ Jade Corkill, Freeman steadily climbed the ranks before breaking through on the big stage. In 2026, the 23-year-old earned the biggest win of his career when he and Korbin Rice captured the RodeoHouston title, launching Freeman to the top of the PRCA world standings.
No. 4: JC Flake | $56,047.66
Originally from Arizona and now living in Milsap, Texas, JC Flake grew up competing in multiple events from the team roping and tie-down roping to the steer wrestling. A former University of Wyoming athlete, Flake has spent the last several seasons knocking on the door of his first NFR qualification, finishing No. 17 in the PRCA world standings in 2024 and No. 24 in 2025. Momentum shifted in 2025 when he teamed up with brother-in-law and eight-time NFR qualifier Dustin Egusquiza. Egusquiza and Flake kicked off the 2026 season with the Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo win in Odessa, Texas, before etching their names in the ProRodeo history books with a 2.9-second run at Rodeo Austin in March, setting a new world record.
No. 6: Trent Vaught | $46,500.42
Trent Vaught of Mena, Arkansas, has quietly built a reputation as one of the most consistent heelers in the Great Lakes Circuit. A multiple-time Great Lakes Circuit Finals qualifier, Vaught captured his first circuit finals average title in 2024 and has continued to climb the professional ranks. Vaught earned the biggest win of his career at the 2026 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, a victory that vaulted him inside the Top 15 of the PRCA world standings and positioned him for the strongest season of his career.
No. 7: Wyatt Cox | $45,181.47
Growing up on the West Coast, Wyatt Cox grew up enjoying the best of both worlds—the rodeo life and the California coast. Taught to rope by his parents, Cox developed into a standout athlete, competing in football and rodeo before attending Otero Junior College and West Hills College. In 2015, he moved to Texas to rodeo full-time and spent four months under the mentorship of two-time World Champion Chad Masters, a relationship that continues to influence his career today. Known for his aggressive style and competitive drive, Cox captured one of team roping’s most prestigious titles when he won the Bob Feist Invitational in 2021. Now based in Morgan Mill, Texas, the California native has spent the last several seasons knocking on the door of his first NFR qualification, finishing No. 22 in 2022, No. 18 in 2024 and No. 17 in 2025. Cox started 2026 off with the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo win to keep him inside the Top 15 heading into the summer run, now behind four-time NFR header Brenten Hall.
No. 14: Carson Johnson | $37,461.13
Team roping has been a family affair for Carson Johnson from the beginning. The son of former Casper College rodeo coach and 2011 World Champ Jhett Johnson, Carson grew up traveling to rodeos, helping behind the scenes and learning the sport alongside his older brother, Kellan. The brothers reached one of their biggest milestones together in 2021, winning the CNFR team roping title in their hometown of Casper, Wyoming. A longtime standout for Casper College, Johnson now ropes with veteran Cory Kidd.
No. 15: Denim Ross | $36,575.28
A product of one of Canada’s most accomplished rodeo families, Denim Ross grew up in Botha, Alberta, surrounded by team roping. The son of multi-time Canadian Finals Rodeo qualifier Rocky Ross, Denim developed a passion for the sport at an early age and went on to win the 2018 National Junior High Finals Rodeo. By 20, Denim had already qualified for the CFR three times and established himself as one of Canada’s top young heelers. Alongside lifelong friend Kavis Drake, Denim helped Drake capture the 2024 Canadian team roping championship. In 2026, the pair carried that momentum south, advancing to the short rounds at major winter rodeos including Fort Worth, RodeoHouston and San Angelo.
READ: ProRodeo Circuit Team Roping Standings Heading into Summer 2026
