Junior Nogueira slides into All-Around lead

There’s a new leader in all-around after the fifth day of the 10-day National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas &Mack Center.

Junior Nogueira slid into first as he and his partner, Kaleb Driggers, tied for first with Levi Simpson and Jeremy Buhler in the team roping competition.

Nogueira now leads Dustin Bird and Russell Cordoza, who are second and third. Bird and Cordoza took a no-time on Monday.

For the first time in five days, 18-year-old Ryder Wright didn’t win the saddle bronc riding go-round.

Instead, world leader Jacobs Crawley padded his lead with a first-place finish, posting a score of 89.0.

“I haven’t had that breakout check come around yet and it was nice to do it on the (PRCA) Horse of the Year,” Crawley said.

J.D. Struxness took first in the steer wrestling after winning Sunday and tying for first on Saturday.

“A bad day bulldogging is better than a good day working, we always say,” Struxness said. “But when you can win money like this doing it, it just puts icing on the top.”

And for the second straight night, Jake Vold won the bareback riding, this time posting an 89.0.

“I feel good, but we’re only at the halfway mark, and we have five more to go,” Vold said. “I’m looking forward to these next five rounds. You can’t get carried away with a few big rides because this is a marathon.”

Caleb Smidt took first in tie-down roping while Amberleigh Moore won in barrel racing and Scottie Knapp in bull riding.

Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.