NEW YORK CITY – He may not’ve mentioned it to most people, but until a few weeks ago, Derek Kolbaba showed up on the Unleash The Beast every weekend thinking about how long it had been since he last won an event.

October 21, 2017.

The thought weighed heavier as the years stretched on and that timeframe got longer.

It wasn’t until the PBR Manchester in December – more than seven years since his last win – that Kolbaba could finally shed that burden as he claimed an event buckle once again.

“I just feel like a weight was lifted off my back,” Kolbaba said. “I’m sure it probably wasn’t talked about, but I know it went through my head every week I showed up. I knew that I still have what it takes to win at this level, and that definitely boosted my confidence, and I’m ready to keep it rolling.”

2017 was a huge year for Kolbaba, and not just because he won not just one event, but five – he was also the No. 1-ranked bull rider in the world for much of it, ultimately finishing second to eventual World Champion Jess Lockwood.

The 28-year-old laughs as he compares that year to his life now, as a married father of a 2-year-old girl.

“Life is completely different, that’s for sure, and in the best way possible, too,” he said. “I feel like not only is my bull riding growing, but me as a man and what I find important now vs. what I did in 2017. And it makes those wins so much sweeter now, too, to be able to go home and celebrate them with my family and just all the support they’ve given me over this 10-year career already. It makes it pretty special, and I’m definitely happy to see where I am today.”

He’s even happier after a fifth-place finish at the PBR Monster Energy Buck Off At the Garden, presented by Ariat, in New York City.

Kolbaba began the weekend with a buckoff, but he rebounded with 88 points on Lansky in Round 2.

“I knew he was going to be a good bull of Cord (McCoy) ’s,” he said. “I’d seen him a few times. It didn’t go my way the first night, but I knew I just needed to capitalize with the bull that I had.”

In Round 3, he rode Rogue One for 87.5 points to enter the championship round ranked second overall.

Kolbaba was just inches away from his second win in as many weeks until a mistake on UTZ BesTex Smokestack had him called for a slap at 6.58 seconds.

It was agonizing to end the weekend, but he’s still ranked No. 5 in the Unleash The Beast standings heading into the PBR Chicago on Jan. 10-11. (Also in Chicago, Kolbaba will compete with his Carolina Cowboys as they take on the Nashville Stampede in the Smoky Mountain Showdown, the second installment of the PBR Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by Camping World, to close out Round 1 on Jan. 10.)

It’s an incredible turnaround after Kolbaba missed the entire 2024 Unleash The Beast season with a broken neck. He was out for a full year and considered retirement during the long layoff.

But all that hardship has made this season even more special.

“After it all had happened and things kind of settled down, I knew that I wasn’t done yet in the arena, and I knew that that love and that craving was still there,” Kolbaba said. “And absolutely, when you make that decision and put the work in, and you get rewarded for it, it definitely boosts my confidence just to know I made the right decision, for one, and two, I’m not done yet in the arena. It makes me feel really fortunate for the opportunity I get to have.”

Also making things sweeter these days is Kolbaba’s daughter, Callahan, who turned 2 in August.

“It’s a very fun age,” Kolbaba said with a laugh. “She’s starting to learn a lot in these last few months, that’s for sure. It makes it very fun, to see her character come out and her personality.”

His wife, Aymie, prefers to stay home with Callahan while Kolbaba is on the road riding bulls, and he says he’s constantly calling home while he’s away. But rather than splitting his focus, it makes him even more driven to succeed.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was the first one to be looking for a flight home,” Kolbaba said. “And I think that, for me, is a good thing, too, because when I do leave, I want to make sure I’m doing it for something as well. I’m not just going out to get away. So it’s a whole different fire that, in 2017, wasn’t there, but I’m sure happy that it’s here now.”

Derek Kolbaba with a different fire is a dangerous threat to all other riders on the premier series. He’s a newly re-motivated man, and his New Year’s resolution for 2025 is simple.

“Every new year, you set (the goal) to be the World Champion,” Kolbaba said. “And with that win, it pushes us to make that dream come true. Obviously, it’s very early in the season still and there’s a lot of bulls to be rode, but it keeps that fire lit. You’ve got to keep your eye on the prize, that’s for sure, and every weekend, you have to be able to make do with the opportunities you have and just know that every bull counts for something.”

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media