From the Vault: The Rise of Jess Lockwood in Bismarck
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – The Unleash The Beast second half resumes Friday with the 20th annual Dakota Community Bank & Trust Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, and it will be the PBR’s first premier series event ever held in the capital city of North Dakota.
Reigning Stock Contractor of the Year Chad Berger’s annual Touring Pro Division or Velocity Tour event in the past has played host to some of the more memorable moments in PBR history despite not being a UTB event until this year.
The two-time and defending PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood will be unable to compete this week in Bismarck as he continues to rehab from reconstructive left hamstring surgery, but he will be inside the Bismarck Civic Center working alongside five-time PBR World Finals qualifier Colby Yates on the RidePass broadcast (Friday, 8:45 p.m. ET).
Lockwood said last Friday that he is hopeful to be cleared by Dr. Tandy Freeman for a return to competition on Sept. 11 for his home-state event in Billings, Montana. Until then, he will be taking some time to work on his broadcast skills.
In many ways, Bismarck has been tied to the rise of Lockwood’s PBR stardom that began four years ago.
Lockwood is 7-for-15 at various PBR/Berger events in Bismarck, and he made quite the first impression during his 2016 rookie year. He won one of two Velocity Tour events, posting a 93-point ride on Siouxper Stinger and 92-point ride on I Always Stand, who was previously named Crossfire.
The 93-point ride on Siouxper Stinger is the second-highest score in Velocity Tour history, and Lockwood’s two rides set up a memorable matchup against 2012 World Champion Asteroid, even if the eventual result was not one Lockwood wanted.
Lockwood was set to take on Asteroid in a $10,000 bounty matchup, but there was at first some doubt if he would be able to challenge the legendary bovine. Jack Daniel’s After Party had bucked him off minutes earlier in the championship round, creating a gash on the back on the then 18-year-old’s head and aggravating his partially torn right MCL.
In one of his first demonstrations of toughness, Lockwood ripped off the white safety bandage wrapped around his head and fiercely tossed it onto the floor.
“I am getting on him even with a broken leg if I have to,” Lockwood said as he stormed toward the bucking chutes.
However, Asteroid was not here to pay any respect to this teenager’s toughness, and he ripped Lockwood over the front end in 1.78 seconds for a massive 46.5-point bull score.
RELATED: Asteroid adds Lockwood to his list of victims
A year later, though, Lockwood would get a rematch against Asteroid in the championship round of the Bismarck Velocity Tour event, and he did not let the opportunity to reach 8 seconds on a bull he looked up to as a kid growing up in Montana bypass him.
Lockwood then continued his pursuit of a second World Championship last year by winning the Velocity Tour event with 89.5 points on Jungle Can Do.
PBR.com’s From the Vault series takes readers back to some of Lockwood’s memorable moments in Bismarck in preparation of the UTB resuming next weekend.
Asteroid adds Lockwood to his list of victims (2016)
BISMARCK, N.D. – Jess Lockwood ripped off the white safety bandage wrapped around his head and fiercely threw it down onto the dirt-covered floor of the Bismarck Civic Center late Saturday night.
Sweat and blood slowly trickled down the back of his neck as he intently warmed his bull rope in preparation to face 2012 World Champion Bull Asteroid.
Lockwood had just been dropped by Jack Daniel’s After Party during the championship round of the 16th annual Dakota Community Bank and Trust BlueDEF Tour event, presented by Cooper Tires, and had sustained a slight cut on the back of his head.
The blood and sweat congealed into a darkish, red muddy substance as it blended with the left over dirt coated onto his neck. Lockwood’s father, Ed, looked on as calmly as any parent could in the situation.
His 18-year-old son had wiped the back of his neck with his black riding shirt and confidently jumped onto the back of the bucking chutes with a little hop in his step despite aggravating his partially torn right MCL minutes earlier against After Party.
Lockwood hangs on for 8 seconds aboard Asteroid (2017)
BISMARCK, N.D. – It won’t go down as the best of his career, nor will it do anything for his pursuit of the 2017 World Championship, but Jess Lockwood demonstrated on Saturday night that he refuses to throw in the towel on a bull ride.
Lockwood became the first rider since 2014 to reach the 8-second mark on Asteroid when he rode the 2012 World Champion Bull for 65 points during the championship round of the Dakota Community Bank PBR Bull Riding Challenge Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour event at the Bismarck Event Center.
Asteroid had bucked off 21 riders in a row.
The No. 4 ranked bull rider in the world standings should have been bucked off around 4 seconds, but the 19-year-old refused to let go of his bull rope as hung off the side of the 10-year-old bull.
It was pretty ugly, but reaching 8 seconds is always better than simply giving up because you are out of position.
“Grit and determination, as long as you have that, then the rides are going to come,” Lockwood said. “I am glad I didn’t quit. I finished it. That is all I can do at that point, and I did.”
Lockwood wins Chad Berger’s Match of Champions and $75,000 (2018)
BISMARCK, N.D. – Reigning World Champion Jess Lockwood has yet to step foot inside his recently purchased ranch, but he has plans of making sure he has a trophy room for all of the belt buckles, saddles, trophies and other memorabilia he has already acquired in his young career.
At the rate he is going, Lockwood may need a full basement to call his trophy room.
Lockwood brought the Bismarck Event Center to its feet on Saturday night with an aggressive 92.5-point ride aboard Rising Sun to win Chad Berger’s $100,000 Match of Champions and $75,000.
“My world title run was pretty alright last year, especially the World Finals, but you have to put this close to the top because this is an event with all the champions,” Lockwood said. “You couldn’t be in this unless you were a World Champion. I want to put it at the top, but I don’t feel like I rode good enough to put it at the top this weekend. I only got one bull rode.”
Lockwood wins Bismarck to continue surge up the world standings (2019)
BISMARCK, N.D. – 2017 World Champion Jess Lockwood was holding onto the side of the backpens Saturday night inside the Bismarck Event Center looking somewhat pale.
Lockwood did not feel terrible, but he did not feel great.
The 21-year-old had just ridden Jungle Can Do for 89.5 points to take over the event lead at Chad Berger’s 19th annual Dakota Community Bank & Trust Touring Pro Division event.
Lockwood started with Jungle Can Do into his hand before the bull then turned back to the right away from his hand a little before the 4-second mark.
However, Lockwood did not toss his helmet and have nearly as wild a celebration as he did 24 hours earlier when he rode Acting Crazy for 89.5 points.
Lockwood was excited to ride Jungle Can Do, but he was also admittedly fatigued and worn down.
“I was pumped up, though, and I’m glad,” Lockwood said. “He’s a great bull. He usually goes left and he made one round and then he went right and jerked on me a little.
“I’m not feeling as strong as I should. My energy levels have been really low the last week, so I really need to get them up.”
The fourth-year pro has been a madman since on May 11, when he returned after being forced to sit out three months because a broken collarbone sustained at the 2019 WinStar World Casino & Resort Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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