Garden City's Jordan Driver Takes Over Top Spot at San Angelo Rodeo

SAN ANGELO, TX – Jordan Driver is in the driver’s seat of this year’s San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo barrel racing competition.

She rounded the cloverleaf pattern in 14.04 seconds during Sunday’s fourth performance inside CRC Roofers Coliseum to not only take the second-round lead but also moved into the top spot in the two-run aggregate with a cumulative time of 30.04 seconds.

“I knew I had a chance after my good first round to make the finals,” she said of the championship round, which takes place Friday, April 18, and will feature only the top 12 contestants in each event from the preliminary rounds. “I just let it all hang out. I’ve been prepping that horse for The American this coming weekend, so this was my first run back on him in a couple of weeks.

“I was super pleased with how he worked and excited for hopefully making the finals back here in a couple of weeks.”

Driver made her first run of 16.00 seconds last Monday at 1st Community Credit Union Spur Arena, just missing out on the money paid out in the opening round. It set her up to a sprint to the finish, and she’s taking advantage of it. While riding Cyrus, a 7-year-old sorrel gelding,

Driver catapulted into the lead; she is almost two-tenths of a second ahead of Heather Crowley in the round just shy of three-tenths of a second ahead of average runners-up Julie Plourde and Krystall Dillman, both of whom have a two-run cumulative time of 30.31 seconds.

“I’ve never made the short round in the four years I’ve been competing here,” Driver said. “The best I’ve done is place in the second round last year.”

She finished sixth last April and pocketed nearly $2,400, but she’s on pace to win the top money in that round in 2025. More importantly, she’s in a position to battle for the elusive San Angelo title.

“Big Spring is more of my hometown, but I always consider San Angelo as a hometown rodeo, too, because we know so many people and have had so many people be supportive of me and come watch here,” Driver said. “This has been one of my favorite rodeos since I started entering and getting to watch my mom before I was entering. Angelo is a really sentimental and fun rodeo for me.”

She’s proving it in the arena. A big finish would help her in a lot of ways. She is eighth in the Texas Circuit barrel racing standings, and she will likely move up when this rodeo concludes. The biggest leap is toward the world standings, where she sits 17th on the money list – only the top 15 at the end of the regular season advance to the National Finals Rodeo.

On top of all that, Driver is a senior at Tarleton State University and hopes to qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo for the fourth straight year in June. She finished seventh in the intercollegiate standings in 2023 and third last year. She is third in the Southwest Region with just a couple events remaining on the schedule.

“Ultimately, I want to make the National Finals Rodeo,” she said. “The college finals is a big deal to me. I’ve been close to winning it, and my mom won it. With this being my last year, I want to win the college finals and, by December, be in Vegas for the NFR.”

She’ll have a lot of help getting there if it is to happen. Both parents, Jennifer and Dane Driver, have competed in ProRodeo and remain supportive. In fact, Jordan Driver and her mom will hit the road together from time to time.

“They’re supportive of what I do and are always a phone call away,” Jordan Driver said. “If we’re in the rig together, we’re still going to try to outrun each other. I think that helps keep us on top.”

San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo

April 4-18

Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cole Reiner, 88 points on Korkow Rodeo’s Tator Tot; 2. Cole Franks, 87.5; 3. Waylon Bourgeois, 85.5; 4. Jayco Roper, 84.5; 5. Kade Sonnier, 84; 6. (tie) Orin Larsen, Leighton Berry and Bradlee Miller, 83.5; 9. Colton Clemens, 82.5; 10. Will Lowe, 81; 11. (tie) Richmond Champion and Jade Taton, 80.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dalton Massey, 3.2 seconds; 2. Mike McGinn, 3.4; 3. Winsten McGraw, 3.5; 4. Bridger Chambers, 3.6; 5. (tie) Teel Sikes and Brandon Harrison, 3.7; 7. (tie) Colten Leech, Ben Kilburg, Cimarron Thompson and Coy Johnston, 3.8. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Denell Henderson, Bridger Anderson and Dakota Eldridge, 3.3 seconds; 4. (tie) Weston Taylor, Hunter Cure and Cash Robb, 3.7; 7. Mike McGinn, 3.8; 8. (tie) Landris White and Will Lummus, 3.9. Average leaders: 1. Mike McGinn, 7.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Dakota Eldridge, 7.3; 3. Bridger Anderson, 7.5; 4. Dalton Massey, 7.6; 5. Hunter Cure, 7.7; 6. Will Lummus, 7.9; 7. Rowdy Parrott, 8.0; 8. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Justin Shaffer, 8.1; 10. Cody Devers, 8.4; 11. Landris White, 8.5; 12. Emmett Edler, 8.7.   

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Clay Tryan/Nicki Northcott, 3.8 seconds; 2. Brye Crites/Tyler Worley, 3.9; 3. (tie) Hiyo Yazzi/Shawn Murphy, Jhett Trenary/L.J. Yeahquo and Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 4.0; 6. (tie) Chet Weitz/Blake Walker and Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 4.1; 8. Jaxson Tucker/Sid Sporer, 4.2. Second round leaders: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 3.8 seconds; 2, (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Jade Corkill, Devon Johnson/Boogie Ray and Tanner Tomlinson/Travis Graves, 3.9; 5. Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, 4.0; 6. Chad Masters/Cory Petska, 4.1; 7. (tie) Mason Rust/Kaden Prince and Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 4.4. Average leaders: 1. Jhett Trenary/L.J. Yeahquo, 8.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 9.1; 3. (tie) Roan Oldfield/Creed West and Chet Weitz/Blake Walker, 9.2; 5. Manny Egusquiza/Walt Woodard, 9.6; 6. Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 9.7; 7. Coy Brittain/Eddie Medina, 9.8; 8. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 10.2; 9. Devon Johnson/Boogie Ray, 10.4; 10. Forrest Fisher/Caleb Green, 11.2; 11. Clay Tryan/Nicky Northcott, 12.0; 12. Jet Toberer/Jake South, 14.3. 

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. (tie) Thayne Elshere, on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Squash Blossom Steely Dan, and Ben Anderson, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Northern Exposure, 85.5 points; 3. Jake Finlay, 84.5; 4. Kolby Wanchuk, 83; 5. (tie) Cooper Thatcher and Lefty Holman, 82; 7. Tejay Angland, 81.5; 8. Shorty Garrett, 81; 9. (tie) Tanner Butner and Isaac Diaz, 80.5; 11. Ira Dickinson, 80; 12. Tegan Smith, 79.5.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Kason Dyer, 7.4 seconds; 2. (tie) Brodey Clemons and Tyson Durfey, 7.7; 4. Britt Bedke, 8.2; 5. (tie) Sam Lewis and Dean Holyan, 8.4; 7. Treg Schaack, 8.5; 8. Garrett Jacobs, 8.7. Second round leaders: 1. Ty Harris, 7.0 seconds; 2. Tyler Calhoun, 7.5; 3. Colton Suther, 7.6; 4. Tate Teague, 8.0; 5. Chance Fleming, 8.2; 6. (tie) Jacob Walters, Chizm KuyKendall, Cutter Carpenter and Colton Green, 8.3. Average leaders: 1. Chance Fleming, 17.1 seconds on two runs; 2. Garrett Jacobs, 17.3; 3. Kody Mahaffey, 17.6; 4. (tie) Andrew Burks and Roy Lee, 18.1; 6. Trent McDonald, 18.2; 7. Daxton Hill, 18.3; 8. (tie) Riley Webb and Sam Lewis, 18.9; 10. Dean Holyan, 19.3; 11. (tie) Roan Hudson and Tyson Durfey, 19.9. 

Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Shai Schaefer, Jordi Edens, Bailey Bates, Kelsie Domer and Jenna Dallyn, 1.9 seconds; 6. Abby Cox, 2.1; 7. (tie) Shalee King, Ellie Meeks, Kristy Stewart and KC-Gail Churchill, 2.3. Second round leaders: 1, Summer Williams, 1.7; 2. Kieley Walz, 1.8; 3. (tie) Megan Powel, Rylee George and Bailey Bates, 1.9; 5. (tie) Carlee Potter and Aspen Miller, 2.0; 7. (tie) Shalee King and Jenna Dallyn, 2.1; 9. (tie) Bethanie Harkey, Jordi Edens and Simone Park, 2.2. Average leaders: 1. Bailey Bates, 3.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Jenna Dallyn, 4.0; 3. Jordi Edens, 4.1; 4. Shalee King, 4.4; 5. Kristy Stewart, 4.8; 6. Sawyer Gilbert, 4.9; 7. Ellie Meeks, 5.1; 8. (tie) Emilee Charlesworth, Cheyenne Britain and Shai Schaefer, 5.4; 11. Haley Sage, 5.5; 12. (tie) Macy Auclair and Libby Winchell, 5.6.  

Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Jordan Driver, 14.04 seconds; 2. Heather Crowley, 14.23; 3. Fallon Taylor, 14.24; 4. Lindsey Muggli, 14.31; 5. (tie) Julie Plourde and Zoe Corkill, 14.32; 7. LaTricia Duke, 14.34; 8. Taylor Carver, 14.35; 9. Krystal Dillman, 14.36; 10. Hadley Tidwell, 14.41. Average leaders: 1. Jordan Driver, 30.04 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Julie Plourde and Krystal Dillman, 30.31; 4. Lindsey Muggli, 30.33; 5. LaTricia Duke, 30.44; 6. Heather Crowley, 30.47; 7. Taylor Carver, 30.55; 8. Stephanie Fryar, 30.57; 9. Hadley Tidwell, 30.59; 10. Zoe Corkill, 30.67; 11. Emma Charleston, 30.69; 12. Fallon Taylor, 30.78.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Dustin Boquet, 87 points on Hampton Rodeo’s Kicking the Lights; 2. Elijah Mora, 85.5; 3. Bryce Jensen, 85; 4. Jessi Petri, 84.5; 5. Sam Southern, 82; 6. Lane Vaughan, 67; no other qualified rides.