PUEBLO, Colo. – At only 4 years old, Hocus Pocus – the 2018 co-bull of the PBR World Finals – still has time to continue to develop into one of the top bucking bovines in the PBR.

Hocus Pocus, who turns 5 years old in March, gave a glimpse of his potential during the Express Ranches Invitational on Saturday night.

The D&H Cattle Company rising star used an enormously powerful first jump out of the bucking chute to jar Derek Kolbaba’s hand loose from his bull rope, causing Kolbaba to lose his feet and be sent to the ground in 2.06 seconds.

“He’s kind of been synonymous with that big blowing jump-kick out of there, and he can just go from a standstill to 100 mph as quick as any of them,” stock contractor H.D. Page said. “He’s real quick-footed and real athletic. He looked like the real deal.”

It is the kind of performance that will keep Hocus Pocus on the cowboys’ radar as he looked every bit the part of the bull that posted a 47-point bull score at the 2018 PBR World Finals.

Two-time World Champion Justin McBride noticed Hocus Pocus’ power immediately during the CBS national broadcast this weekend.

“Look at the kick right there. That is intensity,” McBride emphasized. “That bull brought everything that he had from the time the chute gate cracked.”

The out was Hocus Pocus’ second since he bucked off Matt Triplett in 3.72 seconds for a 44.75-point bull score two weeks ago in Sacramento, California, in his season debut.

Hocus Pocus is 8-1 in nine UTB outs since 2018, and he may be entering the 2020 YETI World Champion Bull conversation, but the sample size is obviously small. The bovine athlete posted two 44.5-point bull scores at the 2019 PBR World Finals, bucking off Lucas Divino (2.55 seconds) and Cody Jesus (2.91 seconds).

The two-time PBR World Finals qualifier is fourth in the early YETI World Champion Bull standings with a 45.38 average bull score this season.

Defending YETI World Champion Smooth Operator has a 45.83 average on three outs following a 45-point bull score against Kaique Pacheco. The 2018 World Champion rider was making it look easy against Smooth Operator before pulling for his bull rope before the 8-second mark. It was a huge mental blunder by Pacheco, who simply shook his head in disgust when asked afterward what happened.

Does Page believe Hocus Pocus can contend with Smooth Operator in 2020?

“If he bucks like that every time, yeah, he’ll be in it,” Page said.

HEARTBREAK KID HAS SUB-PAR DEBUT

Every stock contractor knows there are simply off days for his or her bulls. That is why the ability to drop low scores throughout a season during the YETI World Championship Bull race can be so beneficial once the PBR World Finals rolls around in November.

The 2020 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.

Still, that does not make it any easier or more enjoyable to explain when a bull underperforms.

Heartbreak Kid began 2020 with world title aspirations, and those title hopes are far from over, but the 6-year-old certainly did not look like a World Champion on Saturday night.

Dener Barbosa rode Heartbreak Kid for 81 points and was awarded a re-ride option, and Heartbreak Kid was scored a career-low (premier series) 39.5 points. Heartbreak Kid was once marked a 38.5 at the 2018 NFR with Sage Kimzey and 37.5 points at the 2017 Denver Velocity Tour event when Luciano de Castro rode him for 75 points.

Page is not sure if maybe Heartbreak Kid’s recent horn infection had zapped him of his energy or if it was just a fluke outing. Heartbreak Kid was also scored 43 points at the Odessa, Texas, PRCA event a few weeks earlier.

“No idea what happened,” Page said. “He was a little heavy, and that horn infection may have had some part of it. I don’t know. There’s no excuse for him not bucking, but who knows. You try your dangdest to figure out what they’re telling you, but we speak a different language. I feel like I shouldn’t have brought him, but I thought he was ready to go.

“The best ones will have a day off at times. You don’t expect it, of course, but he’s working with 80 or 100 pounds that he’s never worked with before, and that could have a hand in it. Who knows. I’ve got a book full of excuses. Everybody who owns a bull does.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko