ARLINGTON, Texas – Two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood sat inside his workout shed at home in Stephenville, Texas, late Friday night with the temperature cranked up to 110 degrees.
As Lockwood spent about 20 minutes inside his custom-made workout shed, stretching out his muscles and messing around on a medicine ball, he focused his mind on this coming weekend.
Lockwood knew that he had to give his country and the Team USA Eagles a World Champion effort during the 2020 WinStar World Casino and Resort Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy, this weekend if the Americans were going to have any chance at reclaiming international bull riding dominance.
“I didn’t (do a full) work out because today is game day,” Lockwood said. “I just wanted my body to feel stretched out and loose. I went in there and got it hot. I just lay in there, looked up at the ceiling and moved. Every time I am training, I am thinking about bull rides in my head and going into the weekend.”
Lockwood normally trains for an hour or so in his custom-made workout room at least once a day with the temperature over 100 degrees.
The 22-year-old not only builds up his physical stamina in his workout shed, but he also gains mental toughness by training in such intense conditions. Lockwood is so obsessed with exercising this way that he actually has two workout sheds – one at home in Volborg, Montana, and one at his house in Stephenville.
Lockwood’s commitment to his regimen helped him out tremendously during the Bonus Round on Saturday night inside AT&T Stadium as the Eagles usurped Team Canada for the event lead when he rode Red Dawn for 88.5 points.
The Volborg, Montana, native had only seven minutes to prepare for Red Dawn after he received the re-ride option after originally being matched up against Outlaw (6.04 seconds).
“If I didn’t work out in that type of heat, I would be screwed on that second bull,” Lockwood said. “I was tired and my muscles were tired on that second bull. I was sweating my ass off. Gosh damn, I was dying. When I was sliding up, there was sweat dripping down (my face) and pouring.”
Lockwood had previously been bucked off twice by Red Dawn until he was able to convert on the Chad Berger bovine athlete Saturday night.
“I was tired, but he went into my hand and I was trying to get a little lazy, and he gave me one good kick and went back around right, and I knew it was game on then,” Lockwood said.
Team USA coach Justin McBride said it was apparent that Lockwood’s physical condition was going to be tested on Saturday night, and that his dedication in the gym came through in a clutch situation.
“That is huge,” McBride said. “That is why these guys put in all that work, when you have to go back-to-back like that because the re-ride bull was four seconds of hell busting loose. He had a quick turnaround. That is why he works so hard during the week. If you don’t, you have no chance against the next one.”
Lockwood accounted for two of the Eagles’ four rides after he emphatically ended Round 1 with 90.25 points on Grand Theft.
Lockwood gave his team not only a huge lift on the scoreboard with each of his qualified rides, but also in morale.
McBride gave Lockwood a massive bear hug on the dirt following Lockwood’s ride on Red Dawn.
“That was not only a big ride, but a huge situation, as everybody knows,” McBride said. “That was a big one for us. We needed that. A bull that bucked him off twice before. A bull that was not easy, back away from his hand, and then he just dominated him back in the other direction. That is what we have been hoping for from Lockwood.”
The Eagles (4-for-8, 346.75 points) are one bull ahead of Team Canada (3-for-8, 259.75 points) heading into Championship Sunday. Team Australia (2-for-8, 169.75 points) sits in third place. Team Brazil (1-for-8, 90.25 points) is in fourth place, while Team Mexico (1-for-8, 89 points) and Team USA Wolves (1-for-8, 85.25 points) are in fifth and sixth.
RELATED: Championship Sunday Global Cup daysheet
Fans can watch the conclusion of the Global Cup at 8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network and at 2:45 p.m. ET on RidePass.
The Eagles also received 86 points from Cole Melancon on Top Down in Round 1 and 82 points from Cody Teel aboard Peep Show.
Teel’s status for Round 3 is in question after he sustained a concussion at the 8-second mark against Peep Show. Teel will have to go through the PBR’s concussion protocol on Sunday morning. If Teel is not cleared to ride, McBride will have to decide which of his riders will ride twice in the long round.
While McBride was not willing to share publicly who he may use twice in the long round, one thing is almost certain: it is highly likely Lockwood will be getting on a second bull come the Bonus Round.
Lockwood is rising to the occasion with his country needing him most, and he says the best has yet to come.
“This is just a warmup,” Lockwood concluded. “Tomorrow is the finish line. This isn’t even the start of the race. This is warming up, practice for us. We have to go into tomorrow like it is a race. It is definitely not over.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko