Lightning Aguilera
Name and Hometown: Lightning Aguilera, Athens, Texas
1-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifier
Joined PRCA: 2016
Starting 2022 NFR in 11th place
Major regular season wins –
• San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo, $21,500
• San Angelo (Texas) Rodeo, $18,292
• Reno (Nevada) Rodeo, $6,145
• World’s Oldest Rodeo (Prescott, Arizona), $6,224
Fun Facts about Lightning: His given name is Wenceslao but about the time his family moved from Florida to Texas they started calling him Lightning. His father and grandfather both were headers and influenced his love of horses and roping. He is of Cuban decent and his grandfather competed in all of the rodeo events in Cuba before coming to the U.S. Last year was his first year to go hard and he finished in the top 40 in the world standings. He got into San Antonio, but his regular partner, Coleby Payne, did not. Lightning got paired up with another Florida native of Cuban decent, Jonathan Torres and they won. They are both first-time WNFR qualifiers and will be roping together in Las Vegas. Lightning gives the credit to this year’s success to his horse, Jess A Moose that he calls “Grey.” His fellow ropers chose him as the 2022 Nutrena Head Horse of the Year.