PUEBLO, Colo. – It has been almost five months since two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood underwent core muscle surgery this past May, his second major surgery in 15 months, putting to bed what Lockwood calls the worst stretch of his career.
Lockwood is set to return to competition this weekend at the PBR Cooper Tires Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska, for the first time since renowned surgeon Dr. William Meyers repaired multiple core injuries, 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. That injury also needed to be surgically repaired by Dr. Meyers that season and left Lockwood bedridden for nearly six weeks.
“I feel really damn good,” Lockwood told PBR.com on Wednesday before heading to a workout session with his brother, Jake. “I can’t wait to be there. To ride. And to win.”
Lockwood has slipped to No. 47 in the world standings after missing the last 14 Unleash The Beast events ahead of this week’s regular-season finale. Lockwood is 64.5 points behind No. 37 Thiago Salgado for the final World Finals qualification spot at this time.
The Volborg, Montana, native was a miserable 3-for-19, including 10 consecutive buckoffs, before he got surgery this spring. He is 7-for-33 on the UTB since returning from his hamstring surgery last September.
A fully healthy Lockwood has drawn Speck (0-0, UTB) for Round 1 of the PBR Cooper Tires Invitational.
Lockwood likely needs to place in the Top 2 in the event average Lincoln to jump into the Top 37. A Top-3 or 4 finish could also work depending on round placement.
If Lockwood is unable to get himself qualified for the World Finals in Lincoln, he will be eligible to compete at the 2021 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals on Oct. 30-31 via a World Champion exemption to make one last-ditch effort to clinch a spot at his sixth consecutive PBR World Finals.
“I am not too concerned,” Lockwood said. “I have always treated every bull like there was a World Championship on the line at that Sunday in Vegas. Every single bull always counts, like me, (Cody) Lambert and (Justin) McBride always talk about. I never feel pressure. It is just fun now that I am healthy. After riding those three practice bulls, it feels like March 2020 never happened, that first injury that caused it all. I thought coming back, I would feel a little rust after not riding for so long, but it feels like I never got injured, and it is before March 2020.”
Lockwood was originally going to come back to competition in Greensboro, North Carolina, earlier this month until he tore some scar tissue in his groin on his third practice bull. While this was an expected part of his recovery, Lockwood said Dr. Tandy Freeman advised him to wait a few more weeks before making his comeback.
“When I got off, nothing hurt, but I could feel something lingering in the ride, but it didn’t hinder me being able to ride correctly,” Lockwood said. “I was up on my legs and off my butt and hips under my rope. I got off and said, ‘My groin feels a little weird,’ and I got to the house, and there was a weird divot. It looked like it tore. I texted Tandy, and we talked on the phone, and he said I tore some scar tissue, and that is good and is expected, but to not ride anything until it stopped feeling funny.
“I am being smart with it because I am happy to feel like normal Jess.”
Lockwood plans on getting to Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln Saturday a bit earlier than usual to work with Rich Blyn and the PBR Sports Medicine Team. He plans to go through a dynamic warmup to ensure his body is loose and properly stretched out before riding.
Meanwhile, 11-time PBR World Finals qualifier Cody Nance is tentatively returning to competition just in time after he dislocated his hip on Aug. 22 in Nashville.
Nance, who is also qualified for the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals, is hanging onto the No. 35 world ranking after being out for the past two months. He is 27.16 points ahead of No. 38 Adriano Salgado.
Nance has drawn Redline (0-0, UTB) for Round 1.
TOP 30 RIDERS OUT OF COMPETITION
No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme (Core muscle injury)
No. 5 Dener Barbosa (broken clavicle)
No. 9 Dalton Kasel (left hip)
No. 16 Rafael Henrique dos Santos (left groin)
No. 21 Paulo Lima (right groin)
No. 22 Cody Jesus (Excused Absence)
No. 23 Alex Cerqueira (In Brazil)
No. 24 Colten Fritzlan (shoulder surgery)
No. 29 Austin Richardson (broken collarbone)
PACHECO LOOKS TO CLOSE THE GAP FURTHER; DAVIS RETURNING FROM GROIN INJURY
2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco took a good chunk out of injured world leader Jose Vitor Leme’s grip on the No. 1 world ranking last weekend in Manchester, New Hampshire, with a second-place finish, but he still has work to do.
Pacheco is 635 points behind Leme heading into Lincoln, where one rider can earn a maximum of 167 world points. He then could pick up an additional 105 points at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals if he were to decide to ride at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center on Oct. 30-31 in Las Vegas.
The No. 2-ranked bull rider in the world will take on Mongoose (0-0, UTB) in Round 1.
Leme confirmed to PBR.com on Tuesday he has no plans on riding at the Velocity Tour Finals. Instead, the 2019 Velocity Tour champion will continue to focus on his rehabilitation so that he is ready for Round 1 of the World Finals on Nov. 3.
2016 World Champion Cooper Davis is returning to competition following a one-week break because of a right groin injury. The No. 3-ranked bull rider in the world trails Leme by 789 points and could benefit from closing the gap some. Davis also said he does not plan on riding at the Velocity Tour Finals.
Davis has drawn Nightmare (0-0, UTB) for Saturday night.
ALTERNATES (NEED A QUALIFIED RIDE TO ADVANCE TO ROUND 2)
No. 48 Ramon de Lima
No. 49 Dakota Louis
No. 51 Cody Casper
No. 56 Leonardo Lima
No. 58 Marcos Gloria
No. 65 Matt Triplett
No. 67 Clayton Sellars
PENDLETON WHISKY VELOCITY TOUR INVITES – BEATY DEBUTING
No. 90 Austin Beaty is making his Unleash the Beast debut after winning the Wheeling, West Virginia, event with a 2-for-3 showing. The 2019 First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo bull riding champion, Beaty is active-duty personnel for the U.S. Army and has served in various operations, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Wheeling was just his third PBR event.
The 30-year-old has drawn Systematic (0-0, UTB) for Round 1.
No. 66 Dalton Rudman is set to ride in his second career UTB event courtesy of his win in Des Moines, Iowa, last weekend with a perfect 2-for-2 showing.
Rudman takes on Keep ‘em Guessing (0-0, UTB) in Lincoln.
ROUND 1 REMATCHES
Cody Teel vs. M.A.G.A. (1-1; 89.25 points in Tulsa, Oklahoma, three years ago)
Conner Halverson vs. Black Cadillac (88.5 points in Sioux City, Iowa)
Derek Kolbaba vs. Black Ice (4.08 seconds in Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Lucas Divino vs. Crossover (3.59 seconds last year at World Finals)
Mason Taylor vs. Uncle Gangster (2.73 seconds last year in Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media