TAMPA, Fla. — Two-time PBR world champion Jess Lockwood of Volborg was the only rider to go 3 for 3 in Tampa this weekend to win the Professional Bull Riders Unleash The Beast event inside a sold-out Benchmark International Arena.
Before Saturday's triumph, Lockwood, who has openly discussed finding himself and God to overcome personal and physical struggles, last won an elite event in 2020. He is a member of the world champion Carolina Cowboys in the separate PBR Teams league.
Lockwood is the youngest champion in PBR history, winning the title as a 20-year-old in 2017. In 2019, he became the youngest two-time world champion.
THE COMEBACK KING 👑 pic.twitter.com/Nn7Vn4HaMt
— PBR (@PBR) January 25, 2026
After Clay Guiton knocked down a 90.9-point score on Sober Child in the Championship Round, putting him in the lead with 180 points, Lockwood, with 177.30 points, was last man out. While only needing to make the 8 on Lights Out for the win, Lockwood recorded a monster 90.35-point score.
He now sits in eighth place in the UTB standings, 122 points behind Kasel, who finished fourth in Tampa with scores of 84.75 on Friday on Crazy Sox and a big 88.9 on Tchoupitoulas in Round 2.
The winning 8 was the third time Lights Out carried a rider to a win in the 2026 UTB season. Sage Steele Kimzey won on the bull in New York as did Dalton Kasel in Milwaukee.
Guiton, who won the Championship Round, came in second in Tampa, riding Chico for 89.1 points in Round 2 before his intoxicating trip on Sober Child in the short go, the event’s high score.
Kimzey was unable to seal the deal for his second event win of the 2026 season, choosing Man Hater second in the draft and bucking off at 4.16 seconds to finish third. Kimzey conquered Show Biz for 85.8 points on Friday in Round 1 and solved Sunrise in Round 2 for 88.1 points. Kimzey is second in the world, 43 points behind Kasel.
Paulo Eduardo Rosetto rounded out the top five in Tampa, after the switch-hander rode Late Night Toss for 86.75 points in Round 1 and The Kraken for 86.05 in Round 2.
With his back against the wall on the UTB cutline, Daniel Keeping was sensational atop The Player for 90.65 points, his best UTB score since 2023, to win Round 2. Keeping finished 11th and moves up to No. 32.
In a championship round where the bulls only yielded two 90-point rides, two animal athletes were demonically dirty: Red Demon and Riding Dirty were each scored 45.35 points.
The PBR Unleash The Beast next heads to Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., Jan. 29-Feb. 1.
