NAMPA, Idaho – 2017 World Champion Jess Lockwood is ready to roll following a hard landing on his neck after he emphatically rode Heartbreak Kid for a career-best 93.75 points last weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina, slaying the World Champion Bull contender’s streak of 38 consecutive premier series buckoffs.

Lockwood confirmed that he would be ready to go for the final regular-season Unleash The Beast event of 2019 at this weekend’s Cooper Tires Take The Money And Ride following a scary wreck that could have resulted in serious injury inside the Greensboro Coliseum.

Instead, Lockwood (neck strain) walked out of with a bag of ice on his neck, and that much more confidence that he can run down Jose Vitor Leme in the ever-evolving 2019 World Championship race.

Lockwood can regain the world No. 1 ranking for the first time since Sept. 8 if he can overcome the 321.66-point deficit between himself and Leme this weekend at the Ford Idaho Center.

A PBR-best fifth event win would do the trick for Lockwood.

The 22-year-old has drawn Long Cut (1-0, UTB) for Round 1 on Friday night, which can be watched exclusively on RidePass beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET.

“Feel great now,” Lockwood said via text message on Wednesday morning.

Lockwood used his Pulse Equine machine on his neck this week and some therapy cream. Pulsating electromagnetic field therapy keys primarily on stimulating cell metabolism and helps speed up the healing process for some fractures and other injuries. Lockwood used the machine on his broken collarbone earlier this season.

The Volborg, Montana, bull rider otherwise has gone about his normal routine at home. Lockwood did some ranch work and worked out like any other event week.

Lockwood has ridden six consecutive bulls on the premier series and has turned a 1,031.66-point deficit in the world standings into that slim 321.66 points with a third-place finish in Minneapolis and a second-place finish in Greensboro.

Still, Leme can swing the pendulum back in his favor during his Round 1 rematch against Red Bandana (34-17, UTB).

The world leader previously rode Red Bandana for 89 points last year in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Leme has uncharacteristically bucked off two straight bulls in Round 1 competition. He had not bucked off a first-round bull since Aug. 17 in Houston (Red Dawn 7.47 seconds), and he has not gone two straight weeks with a Round 1 buckoff since April.

INJURY UPDATES: LANE OUT WITH THUMB INJURY; SHEPHARD ALSO OUT WITH TORN ROTATOR CUFF

The race to qualify for the 2019 PBR World Finals (Nov. 6-10 in Las Vegas) continues to be a tight one for the riders ranked outside of the Top 30.

No. 37 remains the cutoff for the 2019 World Finals with No. 19 Aaron Kleier (elected to compete in Australia) ineligible for a Top 35 ranking and No. 23 Silvano Alves out for the season because of a ruptured kidney.

Injuries, of course, will continue to play a factor during the final three weeks before the World Finals gets underway at T-Mobile Arena.

No. 31 Michael Lane is hopeful he will still qualify for the World Finals after tearing ligaments in his left thumb (riding hand) last weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Lane told PBR.com Thursday morning he will take the next two weeks off before giving it a go at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals on Nov. 2-3 at the South Point Hotel Casino & Spa.

The 29-year-old is sitting ninth in the Velocity Tour standings.

He also leads No. 38 Cliff Richardson by 195 points.

Meanwhile, Kurt Shephard has elected to shutdown his season Thursday after an MRI this week revealed he had sustained a left torn rotator cuff in Greensboro, North Carolina. Shephard, who will need to undergo surgery at some point, attempted to get on his drop barrel this week to no avail. According to Shephard, he will be out 4 to 6 months.

No. 37 Colten Jesse is hanging on to the final World Finals qualification spot, and he received good news recently. Dr. Tandy Freeman told Jesse he will be cleared to ride in Las Vegas if he is eligible for the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals / World Finals. Jesse has been out since June because of reconstructive right shoulder surgery.

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Bag check as I’m just days away from getting back on. I’ve been waiting on this day since May 19th. Thanks to everyone for all the prayers and support. Also a thanks to my sponsors for the year. #blessed #rockstar #longlivecowboys

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There are seven riders inside the Top 35 not competing in Nampa – No. 14 Ryan Dirteater (broken ribs, collapsed lung, lacerated liver), No. 19 Aaron Kleier (declined UTB spot), No. 23 Silvano Alves (ruptured kidney), No. 28 Joe Frost (broken right leg), No. 31 Michael Lane (torn thumb ligaments), No. 33 Brady Fielder (declined alternate spot) and No. 33 Cannon Cravens (broken left leg).

The seven alternates this weekend are No. 36 Dylan Smith (44.16 points ahead of No. 38 Richardson), No. 40 Ramon de Lima (81.66 points behind Jesse), No. 41 Scottie Knapp (-91.66 points), No. 44 Junio Quaresima (-156.66 points), No. 48 Brady Sims (-244.16 points), No. 50 Ruger Piva (-264.16 points) and No. 51 Marcus Mast (-266.66 points).

Meanwhile, No. 17 Matt Triplett (toe injury) and No. 26 Dakota Buttar (right groin) are back in action after missing Greensboro.

ROUND 1 REMATCHES

Cody Jesus vs. Far West (86 points at Iron Cowboy)
Cooper Davis vs. Acting Crazy (2.92 seconds in Decatur, Texas, in 2016)
Smith vs. Black Point (2.5 seconds in Pendleton, Oregon)
Leme vs. Red Bandana (89 points last year in Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
Taylor Toves vs. Quick Fire (2.69 seconds last year in Des Moines, Iowa)

SMOOTH OPERATOR AND HEARTBREAK KID TO BUCK IN CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

Leading World Champion Bull contender Smooth Operator will bring his 45.81-point championship average into Nampa on Saturday night.

Smooth Operator will be bucking in the championship round, and he will need a 45.5-point score or higher to increase his average.

The 2019 World Champion Bull will be the bull with the highest average bull score from their top eight regular-season outs and two outs at the PBR World Finals.

Also bucking is No. 2 Smooth Wreck (45.66 points), No. 3 Fearless (45.56 points) and No. 4 Heartbreak Kid (45.41 points).

Heartbreak Kid will be bucking for the first time since his career-best, 46.25-point outing with Lockwood last weekend.

The 6-year-old needs a 45-point score or higher to increases his World Championship average.

Fearless was unable to increase his average last weekend in Greensboro, but he will once again need only a 45-point out in Nampa to improve his score.

Meanwhile, Smooth Wreck may be sitting No. 2 in the standings, but PBR Director of Livestock Cody Lambert confirmed this week on the CBS Sports Network production call that Smooth Wreck is not on the list of bulls headed for the 2019 World Finals.

Lambert said Smooth Wreck has lost his spot at the World Finals following two of his last three performances on the Unleash The Beast. Smooth Wreck was only marked 35.75 points in Minneapolis when Alisson de Souza rode him for 73.25 points in the 15/15 Bucking Battle. A month earlier, Smooth Wreck only scored 39.75 points when Claudio Montanha Jr. rode him for 81.5 points in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Smooth Wreck picked up 44 points when he bucked off 2012 PRCA champion Cody Teel in 3.02 seconds in Nashville.

“Smooth Wreck will be in Nampa, but I did tell Chad (Berger) there is no way he is going to the Finals,” Lambert said. “I will put him in the short go in Nampa that way somebody can choose them if they want, or whoever comes in 15th will get him, but he won’t go to the Finals. There is not a chance. They have been 81 and 73 on him in two of his last three outs. So he won’t be there.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko