PUEBLO, Colo. – Envisioning a goal can be one of the most crucial aspects of finding success.
Really breaking it down and assessing the potential achievement, rolling around in the dirt beside the idea, taking it to the barn to wash off and cleaning it up for dinner. Getting it to bed on time, knowing an early morning comes along with the next steps of bringing that goal to life.
Thesit’sals provide opportunities for us to become better competitors, professionals, mentors and beyond. In the chutes, in the classroom, in the gym, in the community, or wherever one’s mecca of one’s improvement lies, the lowest common denominator is the will to be the best.
Maybe it’s not that it’s for everyone, but having endured the various injuries that two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood has sustained over the past few years, the veteran found himself clinging to goals, both short and long-term, while wandering down a winding road of decisions this past year. Appreciating previous successes can help fuel that motivation as well.
“I’m still as dominant as ever, and I just wanna kick ass and go home and relax there,” Lockwood foreshadowed this past summer, taking in the PBR Team Series action at Outlaw Days Aug. 4 as he continued to recover from injuries sustained earlier that year.
“Oh, I’ve got competitiveness still, but it’s more so it's the "I can still do this because I want to do this,’ not because I have anything to prove," he said. "I still have it in me to win a third world title.”
Fast forward to this past weekend in Duluth, Georgia, where Lockwood’s lonLockwood’sjourney to recovery came to fruition.
RELATED: Lockwood returns to the chutes, glory with event-tying effort Saturday
Reflecting on all of the gym reps, practice bulls, endless physical therapy sessions, and even, at one point, the potential of retiring, the Volborg, Montana, native strolled into Gas South Arena with an unmatchable swag.
“Everyone wants to be a World Champion, and I’ve done it twice, so I feel lucky,” Lockwood said.
Instantly translating back to the world’s largest stage, Lockwood showed up and showed out, competing amongst his peers for the first time in nearly 350 days.
Eventually bucking off his Round 2 opponent Lone Survivor in 4.02 seconds to begin the Sunday slate, it was an electric ride atop I’m Legit Too in the championship go that helped him clinch a second-place finish in his first event of the 2023 Unleash The Beast season.
349: Nearly an entire year in the making, Lockwood recorded his first qualified ride in 349 days, logging an impressive welcome-back ride against Spotted Rust in Round 1 of the PBR Gwinnett Chute Out. He last bested Two Socks for a 74.5-point score on Feb. 5 during a Round 2 matchup at the PBR Ariat Invitational in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Championing his opening-round opponent Black Sox for 86.25 points, he combined the score with his Round 2 effort for a 2-for-3, sixth-place finish after being dispatched from his championship-round bull Henry in 5.74 seconds.
92: While getting back in the ride column during his first out of the weekend may have been the most dramatic aspect of the World Champion’s return, it was arguably his championship round bout with I’m Legit Too that may have stolen the show. Regardless of opinion, it represented the event’s highest-marked ride score by 1.25 points, weighing in at 92 points and edging out Luciano De Castro’s epic effort atop Big Bank. Lockwood’s 92-point ride ties for the sixth-best attempt of his career and served as the highest score he’s received since Jan. 19, 2020, when he bested Big Black for a stunning 92.25-point result at the PBR Manchester Invitational.
3-for-3: Nestled between the pair of electric short-round scores, eventual event-winner Kaique Pacheco recorded a victory-clinching 90.5-point score atop UTZ BesTex Smokestack to complete his flawless 3-for-3 weekend. As the only rider to stay perfect in Duluth, Pacheco earned 126 Unleash The Beast points for his effort and an accompanying check for $42,786. Since placing second in Chicago the weekend before, netting 100 premier series points alongside $20,245 in winnings, the 2018 World Champion has racked up a combined 226 points and $61,031 while improving to the No. 3-ranked rider on tour in his past two events.
RELATED: With ice in his veins, Pacheco eyes No. 1 spot heading into Indianapolis
145: Enjoying a current tour-best, six-out ride streak throughout his last two appearances in Chicago and Duluth, Pacheco isn’t letting his slow start to the 2023 campaign get in the way of his remaining opportunities. With a second gold buckle in his sights, Pacheco sits a mere 145 points back from No. 1 Andrew Alvidrez, who’s continued to fend off both “The Ice Man” and inevitable World Champion contender Jose Vitor Leme since earning his prized status via consecutive event titles earlier this season.
Top 10: After exiting the PBR Manchester Invitational and PBR Albany Invitational with back-to-back event victories as the 2022 calendar year came to a close, Alvidrez has paced riders in the Unleash The Beast World Championship standings. While the pair of wins represent the Seminole, Texas, native’s only Top 3 finishes in the eight contests he’s participated in, he leads the field in Top 10 finishes, having met the mark in seven of eight chances this year, including a pair of fourth-place finishes at the PBR Monster Energy Invitational and PBR Tractor Supply Co. Invitational 15/15 Bucking Battle.
72.7%: Consistency is always key, but winning events will always reign supreme when racking up points competing against the best of the best. Two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme knows all about being the best, and after following up Alvidrez’s pair of consecutive event wins by capturing titles in his first two appearances of the season himself, he’s set himself up for a comfortable climb to his main goal: a third world-best honor. Sporting a premier series-best 72.7 ride percentage (8-for-11), and after picking up 46 points last weekend in Duluth, compared to the top-ranked rider’s 18.5, Leme now trails No. 1 Alvidrez by just 60 points heading into Indianapolis.
Alvidrez will look to defend his top ranking this weekend inside Gainbridge Field House as the PBR ZipRecruiter Invitational, presented by Ariat, rolls into Indianapolis Jan. 28-29. The opening round of action is set to begin on Jan. 28 at 6:45 p.m. EST and can be viewed exclusively on RidePass on Pluto TV. Round 2, followed by the championship go, will be showcased on CBS Sports Network on Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. EST, with the weekend’s 15/15 Bucking Battle airing on CBS earlier that afternoon at 3 p.m. EST.
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media