Brady Fielder bests Montanan Jess Lockwood, other contenders for PBR Billings victory

BILLINGS — Brady Fielder reigned supreme in a high-flying, highlight-packed championship round to capture his third event win of the 2026 PBR Unleash The Beast season, and sixth of his career, Saturday night.

Fielder won the penultimate event of the 2026 season delivering a personal 2026 season-best 92.40-point ride aboard Nobody in the thrilling Championship Round at First Interstate Arena at Metra Park.

“That was a really cool short round there. I had to try and control myself, really, I was getting that pumped up … and these guys riding before me, they all make me ride better. I just try not to go past where I’m at, and continue to be the best I can be, every step of the way, and the rest will take care of itself,” Fielder said on the Paramount+ telecast.

Gunning for the coveted world points on the line as the 2026 regular season concludes next weekend in Tacoma, Fielder’s consistent weekend began on Friday night when he claimed sixth place in Round 1 after a solid 88.30-point score on Triple Trouble. Determined to inch his way up the standings, Fielder matched XIT Knock Out’s every move in Round 2 on Saturday, earning an 89.35-point score to stay within the Top 10 on the leaderboard.

With his final conversion aboard Nobody, Fielder ended the championship round with the fifth 90-point ride of the short-go,  finishing second in the round and first on the weekend,  exiting First Interstate Arena at Metra Park with 124 UTB points.

In the world standings, he surpassed Sage Kimzey who now sits at No. 3 after going 1-for-2 in Billings. Fielder sits 247.50 points behind No. 1 John Crimber, who had a huge Saturday night to finish fifth in Billings.

After finishing within the Top 5 on Friday night, Montana’s own Jess Lockwood of Volborg, trying to win at the site of his first career elite series tour victory a decade ago, had the crowd on the edge of their seats as he held the top of the leaderboard throughout Saturday night courtesy of his Round 2 90.90-point score aboard Rockville.

As the last man out of the chutes in the Championship Round, it looked as though the two-time PBR World Champion (2017, 2019) had Semi Sober bested, but with a twisting jump the muscular bovine dispatched him at 5.7 seconds. Going 2-for-3 on the weekend, Lockwood claimed sixth place and heads home with 56 UTB points to sit at No. 20.

Crimber, who was shut out on Friday, came roaring back on Saturday with two massive rides, beginning with topping Getcha  Some for 90.05 points to earn a spot in the Championship Round.  

Despite originally opting into a Championship Round dance with Cherry Chew, the 20-year -old phenom challenged for a re-ride opportunity after hitting the ground almost immediately. Awarded the re-ride, he was matched against Fire Zone — a bull that bucked him off in early 2026 at PBR Boston – before going on to best the bovine for a massive 93.95 points, the second highest-scored ride of his career.

“Shoot, I don’t even know, I was just hanging loose and hanging on tight. Coolest eight seconds of my life!” Crimber said on Paramount+ immediately after the ride.

Courtesy of Saturday’s two 90-point scores, Crimber finished fifth and netted 65 UTB points.  
Skyrocketing to the top of the event leaderboard before Fielder staked his claim, 2022 PBR Rookie of the Year Bob Mitchell went the distance aboard Tigger for 91.15 points.

Mitchell made his way to the Championship Round via an 83.85-point ride on Wishful Thinking in Round 1 and an 89.50-point dance with Level Up – a previously unridden bull – in Round 2.  

Mitchell’s first runner-up finish of the 2026 campaign netted him 93 UTB points, and he moved up to No. 14 in the world standings.

2025 PBR Rookie of the Year Hudson Bolton went the distance atop Shazam (82.85 points) in Round 2 after besting Fury in Round 1 (88 points).  The 20-year-old cowboy then briefly assumed the top spot on the event leaderboard after a high-flying matchup with Eyes on Me, scoring 90.95-points for the first 90-point ride of his PBR career. Bolton exited Billings in third place, moving to No. 22 in the standings.

Luciano De Castro also put up a home run ride in the short go to clinch fourth place in Billings. De Castro topped Snap Chatter for 86.15 points Friday night and scored 82.90 points on Thunder Butte in the second round. He dominated Game Over (90.65) in the final round for his 21st career 90-point ride, earning 55 UTB points and now ranking No. 19 in the UTB standings. 

In the bull pen, Ransom was the high-marked bull of the weekend with a stratospheric 47.85-point score in bucking off Cassio Dias in the Championship Round.  That moved Ransom .05-points within No. 1 Pegasus, who has an average score of 45.68 points in the YETI Bull of the Year race.

PBR’s Unleash The Beast next travels to Tacoma, Washington’s Tacoma Dome for Cooper Tires PBR Tacoma April 24-25 – the final event of the regular season before the PBR World Finals May 7-17 in Texas.