Lockwood does Morning Chores before Riding in Home State

By: Justin Felisko
April 20, 2018

BILLINGS, Mont. – Here are three things we learned from Round 1 of the Stanley Performance In Action Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, on Friday night at Rimrock Auto Arena.

Lockwood does morning chores before riding in home state

Jess Lockwood may be the 2017 and reigning PBR World Champion with over $1.8 million in career earnings, but the 20-year-old still has to make sure he does his chores at home before heading to the arena.

Lockwood’s dad, Ed, woke him up at 7:30 in the morning Friday and Jess had to get to work at feeding 70 to 80 of the family’s 2-year-old heifers at their ranch in Volborg, Montana.

“I had to feed all the cows before I came here,” Lockwood said. “Me and Weston (Hartman) had to do some ranch work then. No days off at home. I may have to drive home tonight. I get to live in the house for free, so I have to work to pay for it.”

Volborg is about a little under three hours from Billings.

Lockwood is the only Montana cowboy riding this weekend, and he brought Rimrock Auto Arena to life on a night where there were only eight rides.

The 2016 Rookie of the Year rode Blackberry Smoke for 85 points and is sitting in fifth place in Round 1.

Round 1 concludes on Saturday night when 25 additional riders will get on their first bull of the weekend.

“He usually goes left and he tricked me and got around there and I really had to make some moves,” Lockwood said. “He felt good. He made me ride really correct seeing as I don’t feel 100 (percent).

Lockwood said that he is not sick or necessarily tired, but that he was more drained and dehydrated from working in the morning and then spending some time in his sauna.

He also didn’t eat much before heading to the arena for his home state event.

“I am pretty tired, honestly,” Lockwood said. “I felt weak, but whenever I feel weak I ride really correct and ride really good.”

Lockwood did make a beeline dive to the PBR Sports Medicine room to get his injured riding hand from the Tacoma Invitational looked at, but he said he was fine and will be good to go for Saturday night’s 15/15 Bucking Battle.

Lockwood has drawn Milky Jones (20-5, PBR UTB) for the 15/15 Bucking Battle, which airs Sunday on CBS national television at 2 p.m. ET.

“That hematoma blew up again,” Lockwood said. “Tandy told me it was going to be sore, but during the ride it feels good. Afterwards, I can feel something.”

Lockwood may have some chores to do at home, but he is perfectly ok with that seeing as it means he gets to ride in front of some of the closest people in his life.

The third-year pro’s dad was in attendance, while Jess’s mom, Angie, is in Iowa for Saturday night’s Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour event in Des Moines where Jake Lockwood is set to compete.

“Heck, I get to ride in front of my family and friends,” Jess said. “What more motivation do you need? What else do you need to use to make a bull ride?”

Whitehorse converts on re-ride to take the lead in night 1

Keyshawn Whitehorse pushed his poker chips all in on Friday night and it paid off big time.

Whitehorse originally rode Sarah’s Terror for 78 points, and he could have kept the score and likely guaranteed himself a spot in Sunday’s Round 2.

Instead, just getting to Round 2 wasn’t going to be good enough for the No. 1 rookie in the world right now.

Whitehorse came to win.

Therefore, Whitehorse accepted his re-ride option and converted aboard Blue Stone with an 87.75-point ride to finish night one atop the event leaderboard.

“I got off the first bull and confidence was an issue since the past weekend. I took it mainly because I knew it was the right decision to make,” Whitehorse said. “I am here to stay, so I need to get points. Me not taking a re-ride is not going to get me any points. That is the reason. I was like might as well try to go for the win. I need the points. I need the money. That is why I am here. I am here to win.”

Whitehorse entered the weekend having ridden only two of his past 10 bulls on the premier series. Now he is in a strong position to go after his first career victory on Championship Sunday.

It was an opposite approach from Alisson Souza.

Souza – another potential Rookie of the Year contender – decided to turn down his re-ride option and keep his 76 points on Rooster Tail for the first ride of his career.

The gamble may pay off in his favor seeing as there were only eight qualified rides on Friday night, but he likely will not earn any world points for his round finish if six riders post higher scores than him on Saturday night in the conclusion of Round 1.

Souza will now have to get another qualified ride in Round 2 if he is going to qualify for the championship round on Sunday afternoon and try and pursue his own first career victory.

Montanha Jr. hot on Lima’s heels in title race

World leader Ramon de Lima got the job done on Friday night with a mellow 83.25 points on Money Talks, but No. 6 Claudio Montanha Jr is in a strong position heading into Round 2 on Sunday at possibly moving into the world No. 1 ranking.

Montanha finished night 1 in second place with an 87-point ride on Hammer Down.

The 28-year-old had been mired in a 4-for-15 slump since winning the Duluth Invitational last month until cashing in aboard Hammer Down.

“It is two things,” Montanha said with the help of Paulo Crimber translating. “He bucked me off once and I rode him tonight. I studied how to ride him so I don’t make the same mistake again. It worked out great and I am looking forward to being in the No. 1 position soon.”

Three other riders picked up a qualified ride on Friday night – Dakota Buttar (86 points on Grey Ghost), Lonnie West (85.5 points on Big Slick) and Kaique Pacheco (84.25 points on Devour).

West is making his PBR debut, while Buttar had missed last weekend’s event because of a sinus infection.

Pacheco has now ridden 11 of his last 13 bulls on the 25^th PBR: Unleash The Beast.