Familial Ties Put Dustin Egusquiza and J.C. Flake in Position for Team Roping Run to NFR

Brought together by marrying sisters, this first-year partnership is putting together an impressive showing, placing them each inside the top five of the header and heeler world standings.

Along with success on the PRCA level, team ropers J.C. Flake (second from left) and Dustin Egusquiza (third from left) have performed well at jackpots as well, winning The Crawfish Invitational back in late March. | Courtesy of The Crawfish Invitational

J.C. Flake kept looking back at the digital display, struggling to comprehend exactly what was being shown. The arena announcer at Rodeo Austin (Texas) sat silent for what seemed like an eternity, equally as perplexed. 

Was that number – 2.9 seconds on a team roping run – really correct? Did Flake and partner Dustin Egusquiza just shatter the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world record on a late March afternoon? 

Absolutely. 

“That was dang sure the high point of this partnership so far,” Flake said with a laugh. “It was crazy just to see it on the clock. I didn’t think it could be done, but I’m sure glad it was us who got it done.”

Flake and Egusquiza each envisioned big things when they started competing together late last year. What has unfolded might be surpassing expectations. 

The pair have accumulated more than $56,000 each so far, putting them inside the top five of their respective world standings. Egusquiza, a Marianna, Fla., native, is fifth on the header list, while Flake, who hails from Millsap, Texas, is fourth in the heeler race. 

Not bad for a duo that ultimately came together through marriage. 

Flake tied the knot with Makiah Horton in April 2025 while Egusquiza married Mariah Horton back in 2023. Overnight, the two went from friends to brothers-in-law. Additionally, Flake had previously competed in the PRCA with Egusquiza’s older brother, Manny Jr., giving them a long-standing connection now bonded by actual paperwork. 

Last year, Egusquiza decided late in the season to begin working with a new partner. He and Levi Lord had done enough to punch their tickets to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo together, but getting ready for 2026 was already on his mind. Egusquiza has qualified for eight NFRs, including the last five straight. 

He didn’t have to look far to find his new running mate. 

“We’re real good buddies and he ropes really good and he’s got a lot of nice horses. We just decided to try it out and it’s been pretty good so far,” Egusquiza said. “There’s a lot of guys that heel good but a lot of people don’t know because of how much they win. There's a lot of guys that can catch two feet but people don’t know until they see them at the big rodeos. He’s one of those guys that kind of flew under the radar, but he ropes really good.”

The partnership has turned into a caravan as Egusquiza, Flake, their wives and other relatives have made traveling the rodeo circuit feel more like a family reunion. Win or lose, there’s always someone to hang out with after the competition is over. 

The focus for the next few months is to make sure everyone gets to Las Vegas together this winter. 

For Egusquiza, it would be his ninth all-time qualification, while Flake would be making his first appearance after finishing inside the top 25 each of the last two seasons. 

“It would be awesome having all the family there. I’ve never roped with a first-timer at the NFR. Either I was the first-timer or I’d rope with the guys who had been there already,” Egusquiza said. “It would be cool to get a guy there for his first time because I remember how cool and how special it was for me. To see him go through that would be pretty sweet.”

The momentum from the winter appears to still be on their side. The pair placed second at Rodeo Celina in McKinney, Texas, at the end of May, then won the BIg Spring (Texas) Cowboy Reunion & Rodeo at the start of June to put another $5,200 in their ledgers. 

And while it might be difficult to top a moment like setting a PRCA record, this tandem is eager to give it a shot. 

“It’s early and I try not to look at the standings too much, but it’s certainly a blessing to be able to have that much momentum going into the summer,” Flake said. “You don’t ever say you can take a deep breath, but it's a little bit more exciting than any other summer I’ve gone into.”