(PBR release)
MANCHESTER, N.H. – At the first-ever PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast event in Manchester, New Hampshire, two-time and reigning World Champion Jess Lockwood (Volborg, Montana) delivered a dominant 3-for-3 performance, including consecutive round-winning 90-point rides, to win the Manchester Invitational at SNHU Arena.
Lockwood began his march to the top of the Can-Am Cage in Round 1, when he recorded the fourth-best score of the night after covering Comanche (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) for 86.5 points.
Determined to capture his first event victory of 2020, the 22-year-old was ultimately unstoppable on a Sunday afternoon in New Hampshire when the Top 5 all finished a perfect 3-for-3.
Lockwood began Championship Sunday with a Round 2-winning, 90.5-point trip on Apocalypse (Deer Prairie Creek Bucking Bulls).
His second 90-point effort of the season allowed Lockwood to punch his ticket to the championship round, and put him at the top of the event leaderboard, earning him the first pick in the bull draft.
Once at arena center, Lockwood selected Big Black (K-C Bucking Bulls/Joe & Nina Webb), a bull known to generate big scores and propel riders to Unleash The Beast glory.
Five riders won Unleash The Beast events in 2019 courtesy of a 90-point ride aboard the Ohio-raised bovine athlete. Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) became the latest rider to earn a victory on the bull last weekend in Chicago – his first on the elite tour – after riding Big Black for a massive 91.75 points.
The final athlete to explode from the chutes inside SNHU Arena, Lockwood brought the raucous New Hampshire crowd to its feet when he topped the championship round with a monstrous 92.25 points.
Lockwood now leads the league in most 90-point rides on the premier series in 2020 with three, and round wins with four.
Lockwood earned a check for $39,980 in addition to a crucial 128 world points. After entering the event No. 4 in the world, Lockwood catapulted to the top of the standings, now 14.5 points ahead of No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil).
Newly minted Team USA Wolves rider for the 2020 WinStar World Casino and Resort PBR Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy, Colten Jesse (Konawa, Oklahoma) was second.
The Oklahoman first rode Gubber (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) for 87.25 points in Round 1, followed by an 87.5-point ride on Big Shot (Blake Sharp) in Round 2.
Marking his third appearance in the championship round in as many weeks, Jesse remained perfect when he covered Bad Beagle (Phenom Genetics/Spurs West LLC/Sankey Pro Rodeo) for 88.75 points.
As a result, the 22-year-old collected an $18,375 paycheck, along with 75.5 world points.
After travelling to Manchester ranked No. 13 in the world, Jesse leaves the Granite State No. 5 and within 128 points of No. 1 Lockwood.
Vieira was third, earning $12,720 and 58 world points.
The veteran Brazilian, who began 2020 winning the season-launch Major in New York City, started the event with an eighth-place finish in Round 1 after riding Sumo (Deer Prairie Creek Bucking Bulls) for 84.25 points.
Vieira then began to climb the event leaderboard in Round 2, when he recorded the second-best score, a 90.25-point trip aboard Apper’s Mind Freak (Jo-Z Bucking Bulls/K-C Bucking Bulls/Spark-Lin Acres). The 90-point effort was his first of the season.
He then capped his flawless performance in reaching the 8 atop Sugar Boom Boom (Cornwell Bucking Bulls/Circle G) for 88.5 points in the championship round.
Vieira remains No. 2 in the world.
Fourth was 2020 PBR Global Cup USA Team Brazil rider Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil).
In front of the record-setting, sold-out crowd on Saturday night, Leme had recorded his first round win of the season with an 89-point ride on Slingin Tears (Blake Sharp/Caveman Bucking Bulls).
Leme again reached the 8-second whistle in Round 2, this time aboard No Sir (K-C Bucking Bulls/Bull Creek Bucking Bulls) for 82.25 points.
Then, Leme architected a rematch for the championship round, re-drafting his first round bovine athlete opponent for his final out.
Again leading the crowd to erupt in raucous cheers, Leme covered Slingin Tears, with his score improving to a monstrous 90.25 points, his second 90-point ride of the year.
The 3-for-3 performance earned Leme $12,580 and 51 world points. He remained No. 6 in the world, now 128.5 points behind No. 1 Lockwood.
Rounding out the Top 5, and the final rider to cover all of his bovine counterparts, was Dener Barbosa (Paulo de Faria, Brazil), competing on the elite Unleash The Beast for the first time since September 2019.
His qualified rides were earned aboard Big Shot (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) for 87.5 points in Round 1, Take Notice (K-C/Forbes Bucking Bulls) for 82.75 points in Round 2, and Poncho Villa (K-C Bucking Bulls/Bull Creek Bucking Bulls) for 87.5 points in the championship round.
Barbosa earned a payday of $6,250 and a crucial 34 world points.
He rose from No. 18 to No. 8 in the world, now within 183.09 points of the No. 1 ranking.
In the bullpen, Rocky (K-C Bucking Bulls/Ronnie Chism Farm & Ranch) and Big Black tied for the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event honor with marks of 44.75 points. Rocky bested Luciano De Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil) in a swift 1.8 seconds in Round 2, while Big Black teamed up with Lockwood for his 92.25-point ride in the championship round.
CBS Sports Network will broadcast all the action from Championship Sunday, with coverage of Round 2 and the championship round, on Sunday, January 19 at 8:00 p.m. EST.
Fans can relive all the action from Manchester Invitational, on Monday, January 20 at 8:00 a.m. EST at RidePass.com or via the RidePass mobile app.
The PBR Unleash The Beast next travels to Sacramento, California, and the Golden 1 Center for the Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic. The event will be on Friday, January 24 at 7:45 p.m. PST, Saturday, January 25 at 6:45 p.m. PST and Sunday, January 26 at 2:45 p.m. PST.
PBR Unleash The Beast
Manchester Invitational
SNHU Arena – Manchester, New Hampshire
(Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Jess Lockwood, 86.5-90.5-92.25-269.25-128 Points.
2. Colten Jesse, 87.25-87.5-88.75-263.50-75.5 Points.
3. João Ricardo Vieira, 84.25-90.25-88.5-263.00-58 Points.
4. Jose Vitor Leme, 89-82.25-90.25-261.50-51 Points.
5. Dener Barbosa, 87.5-82.75-87.5-257.75-34 Points.
6. Kaique Pacheco, 86.25-0-86-172.25-24.5 Points.
7. Cody Jesus, 0-88.5-0-88.50-13 Points.
8. Brady Fielder, 85.5-83.25-0-168.75-11 Points.
9. Ryan Dirteater, 0-87.5-0-87.50-9.5 Points.
10. Marcus Mast, 83-85-0-168.00-7 Points.
(tie). Ramon de Lima, 0-86.75-0-86.75-7 Points.
12. Junio Quaresima, 86.25-0-0-86.25-6.5 Points.
13. Brady Sims, 0-86.25-0-86.25-5 Points.
14. Alisson De Souza, 0-86-0-86.00-4 Points.
15. Ezekiel Mitchell, 0-85.25-0-85.25-3 Points.
16. Daylon Swearingen, 84-0-0-84.00-2.5 Points.
(tie). Amadeu Campos Silva, 84-0-0-84.00-2.5 Points.
18. Mason Taylor, 83.25-0-0-83.25-1 Points.
(tie). Aaron Kleier, 0-84.25-0-84.25-1 Points.
20. Claudio Montanha Jr., 82.5-0-0-82.50
21. Jake Lockwood, 82.25-0-0-82.25
22. Bradley Brittain, 82-0-0-82.00
23. Luciano De Castro, 81-0-0-81.00
24. Alan de Souza, 70.5-0-0-70.50
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-0-0.00
Taylor Toves, 0-0-0-0.00
Brock Radford, 0-0-0-0.00
Cannon Cravens, 0-0-0-0.00
Dylan Smith, 0-0-0-0.00
Lawson Nobbs, 0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Teel, 0-0-0-0.00
Stetson Lawrence, 0-0-0-0.00
Michael Lane, 0-0-0-0.00
Scottie Knapp, 0-0-0-0.00
