LINCOLN, Neb. – Two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood sat on the back of the bucking chutes inside Pinnacle Bank Arena and sat back to watch the final rides of Round 1 of the PBR Cooper Tires Invitational with a smile.
There was no sign of frustration or anger despite Lockwood’s failed comeback attempt from core muscle surgery Saturday night. Lockwood lasted only 2.38 seconds on Speck in his first Unleash The Beast event since the end of May, and the Volborg, Montana, native immediately knew something was not correct in his right groin as he hobbled off the dirt.
Lockwood had already come to terms with the fact that if things did not feel 100% correct in Lincoln, then he would take things extremely cautiously to not endanger his status for the 2022 season-opener on Jan. 1 in Indianapolis.
Therefore, Lockwood has decided to shut things down for the 2021 season and turn the page to 2022.
Lockwood told PBR.com on Saturday night that he will not be competing on Championship Sunday in Lincoln and that he will be scheduling a follow-up with his surgeon Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia after meeting with Dr. Tandy Freeman during Saturday night’s event.
“After Tandy checking me, he thinks there is scar tissue buildup on the groin that has been bothering me for the last three weeks,” Lockwood said. “I am going to talk to the surgeon, meet with him and get an MRI and figure out a treatment plan.”
Meyers repaired multiple core injuries that Lockwood was dealing with earlier this season, including a torn pelvis, after he shut things down following the May 15 Unleash The Beast event in Billings, Montana.
The injuries date back to March 2020, when Lockwood first sustained a career-threatening torn left hamstring following a 91.5-point ride on I’m Legit Too in Kansas City, Missouri.
Three weeks ago, Lockwood had felt a similar issue in his groin while attempting his third practice bull in preparation for his return to competition.
Lockwood is 48th in the world standings and is not qualified for the 2021 PBR World Finals. Lockwood could use a World Champion exemption and compete at next weekend’s Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals to try to make one last push for the World Finals, but Lockwood said he will not pursue that opportunity.
“I probably won’t be at the Velocity Finals,” Lockwood. “There is not enough time to get healthy. It is time for me to focus on 2022. That has been the plan from the start. The only reason I come back here, and I would have liked to be healthy to ride at the Finals, was that if I was healthy, why wouldn’t I? I would just be leaving money on the table.
“Tonight, I realized I am not healthy. Everything felt good, but as I nodded my head, and squeezed, and felt a pop, it wasn’t good.”
TAYLOR SUSTAINS BROKEN JAW
In other injury news, Mason Taylor sustained a broken jaw in Round 1 when Uncle Gangster bucked him off in 1.12 seconds. According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, Taylor is doubtful for Round 2.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media