Jess Lockwood was raised on Montana ranch dirt, family tradition and faith. Born and raised in Volborg, Montana, he grew up on his family’s 12,000-acre ranch, the son of former bull rider and saddle bronc rider Ed Lockwood and longtime barrel racer Angie Lockwood. His dad started him on sheep and calves, then steers and bulls, and by the time he was a teenager, Lockwood was already chasing eight seconds with the kind of grit that only comes from long days and early mornings.

Lockwood joined the PBR on his 18th birthday and wasted no time rewriting history. He earned 2016 PBR Rookie of the Year, then became the youngest PBR World Champion in 2017 at just 20 years old. Two years later, he claimed his second gold buckle, becoming the youngest two-time World Champion in PBR history. Across his career, he has stacked 13 elite tour event wins and 33 career 90-point rides, building a reputation as one of the sport’s most technically sound and mentally tough riders.

The road, like the sport, was unforgiving. A series of injuries and personal battles forced Lockwood to step away, reset and rebuild. He leaned back into faith, family and discipline, choosing growth over escape and returning to the arena with a steadier foundation. By 2025, he found a home with the Carolina Cowboys, helping them capture the 2025 PBR Teams Championship, and in 2026 he reminded the world who he is with a perfect 3-for-3 performance in Tampa, sealing his first elite tour event win since 2020 with a 90.35-point ride on Lights Out.

Off the dirt, Lockwood is equal parts cowboy and creature of habit. His prized possession is the cross necklace he wears daily. He eats the same competition-day meal he has trusted for the last 10 years — a Subway Club with mayonnaise, honey mustard, spinach and jalapeños, Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips and a Vitamin Water. His cheat-meal gas station stop is Hot Cheetos and Airhead Extremes, and when it’s time to lock in, Thunderstruck by AC/DC is the song that flips the switch.

A former high school wrestler, Lockwood earned the nickname “Shetland Stud” and was once able to do the splits, a flexibility edge that served him well early in his career. After pelvic surgery, he added a biomedical feedback machine to his gear bag to help engage his deep core muscles, a small detail that speaks to how seriously he treats longevity. Away from the arena, he’s a retired musical talent — he played trumpet, sang in choir, spent 5–6 years as a band kid and attended his first concert at 16 to see the Turnpike Troubadours. His favorite movie is Forrest Gump, which fits his life philosophy perfectly: keep moving forward.

Now back in the championship conversation, Lockwood rides with a clearer head, deeper gratitude and the same stubborn resolve that carried him from a Montana ranch to the top of the bull riding world — and back again.