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From the Vault: Lockwood Makes History with his Two World Titles

By: Darci Miller

PUEBLO, Colo. – This past weekend at the PBR Gwinnett Chute Out in Duluth, Georgia, two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood won Round 1 and the championship round en route to a runner-up finish.

For a rider of his caliber, perhaps not a particularly notable performance. But considering his last premier series out had been on Feb. 11, 2022, it was certainly notable.

Lockwood has struggled mightily with injury since 2020 when he suffered a torn left hamstring. Since then, he has returned to competition multiple times following two core-muscle surgeries and a combined 23 months on the sidelines, including four because of a left shoulder injury and the last four due to a torn PCL.

One has to think hard to remember it, but before all the injuries, Jess Lockwood was a bull riding phenom.

After winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2016, Lockwood became the youngest World Champion in PBR history when he won the gold buckle in 2017. After a down year in 2018, he stormed back in 2019 to become the youngest two-time World Champion in PBR history, completing one of the greatest World Finals comebacks the sport has ever seen.

Hopefully, with all the injuries behind him, Lockwood can continue his upward trajectory as he chases what would be another record-setting world title. He’ll continue his journey this weekend at the PBR ZipRecruiter Invitational, presented by Ariat, in Indianapolis. Round 1 airs Saturday, Jan. 28, at 6:45 p.m. ET on RidePass on Pluto TV.

Today, PBR.com’s From the Vault series looks back at Lockwood’s incredible world title wins.

Lockwood overcame injuries and never lost faith in himself (2017)

LAS VEGAS – There wasn’t much of a conversation on Sunday morning when Jess Lockwood slid on his cowboy boots inside his hotel room on the 12th floor of the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino hotel.

The 20-year-old walked into the living room and saw his best friend, Weston Hartman, and tried to stay quiet with his brother, Jake, and cousins, Alyssa and Thane Lockhart, still sleeping.

Lockwood said hello to Hartman, gave him a high-five, and the duo did their normal fist pound before heading out of the room and toward the elevator.

Just as Jess was leaving at 10 a.m., Hartman said to go get it done.

Lockwood simply responded with a nod.

Five hours later and Hartman was looking on from the dirt level of T-Mobile Arena as Lockwood was hoisting the PBR World Championship trophy high over his head as tears began to stroll down his face.

“I’m so happy for him,” Hartman said. “It was tough when he was really down in the dumps (in September) and now here is a 180 turn and he is holding up the gold buckle today.”

Lockwood kept an inner circle with him during the past week in Las Vegas as 20 family members and friends joined him on The Strip to watch him become the PBR’s youngest World Champion in PBR history.

Long after the confetti had stopped falling and he had done a series of endless interviews, Lockwood was escorted back to the locker room where Hartman, Jake and a small group were waiting for Lockwood.

“The four that stayed in the room with me the whole time – the Lockhart cousins, my brother and Weston – having those four with me all the time, I just feel relaxed and I’m having fun,” Lockwood said.

Hartman and Jake joked that maybe they should celebrate Jess’s $1 million championship by going to Chuck E. Cheese’s or that maybe Lockwood would finally get something to eat other than Subway for dinner at the Food Court across the street from the Monte Carlo.

The group exchanged fist pounds, high fives and laughed over Hartman wearing a Jess Lockwood championship t-shirt just as they did after Lockwood began the World Finals with a record-setting three straight round wins.

But all kidding aside, everyone in Lockwood’s inner circle – friends, family, coaches, mentors, etc. – knew this time was coming on Sunday afternoon.

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Lockwood in awe of joining childhood heroes in PBR record books with second world title (2019)

LAS VEGAS – Newly minted two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood took a seat inside the now empty locker room at T-Mobile Arena and wrapped his left fingers around a cold Coors Banquet.

Disbelief and leftover adrenaline had resulted in the 22-year-old being at a near loss for words.

It was a stark contrast compared to two years ago when the stunned 20-year-old sat on the exact same bench in the locker room wiping tears out of his eyes with an unwavering smile after achieving a lifelong dream of becoming a World Champion.

Lockwood’s second title is more historic than symbolic for the kid from the ever so small and rural town of Volborg, Montana.

At only 22 years old, and with his entire career still in front of him, Lockwood has placed his name next to the all-time bull riding greats after winning his second World Championship in four seasons at the 2019 PBR World Finals.

Lockwood is only the sixth rider in PBR history to have won multiple World Championships, and he now ranks sixth all-time in career earnings ($3,918,473.66).

“I don’t even know,” said Lockwood. “I wanted it so bad because there are a lot of guys that have one world title. You don’t even remember a lot of the guys that have one world title and that’s it. To put myself up there with my hero, Justin McBride, is unthinkable to me. That is a guy that I have looked up to forever. To say that I am along with him and J.B. Mauney, and I have six, seven eight more years.

“I don’t even know where to start.”

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Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media

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