Professional bull rider Jess Lockwood is only 22 years old, but he is already the youngest two-time PBR World Champion in history. For Lockwood, his love of the sport started two decades ago. He always had the passion for it, and luckily for him, he is pretty good at it as well.
It is not just about the passion and the skill, though. It takes mental strength and a commitment to your health to be the best, and that is just what Lockwood aims to be.
Living on a ranch and being around rodeos growing up, Lockwood said bull riding is what he gravitated towards.
"Shoot, I was so little when I decided," he said. "For some reason when I was two years old I just took a liking to the bulls, for god knows why."
Most people don't discover their future occupation when they are toddler, but Lockwood isn't most people. He never lost sight of his goals. His family never deterred him from the dangerous sport, though Lockwood says his perspective on everything has definitely changed.
"You think growing up, 'why would my parents not want me to do this?'" Lockwood said while laughing. "I haven't had a kid yet, but if they want to ride bulls I'll say 'Oh god, can't you just be a lawyer or something?'"
Although he is not a parent, when Lockwood is a spectator of the sport, he gets a glimpse at how his parents feel watching his brother Jake.
"It's bad enough watching my brother go out there and competing, it makes me so nervous seeing him get hurt and busted around. I hate that feeling," he said.
Even though Lockwood has been in the sport since he was two, there is nothing that can prepare you for the PBR bulls.
Once he entered the PBR world on his eighteenth birthday in 2015, Lockwood saw a lot of success, but he also had his fare share of injuries. His first thought after an injury is always, "I wonder how long this is gonna hold me out."
Lockwood competed in the 2017 World Finals just three weeks after he suffered from four busted ribs, a punctured lung and a bruised kidney at Uniondale, New York. His ribs were still busted up for the competition, but when the stakes are high the show must go on.
Getting back is of course always a top priority because as Lockwood says, "We don't get paid just for being pretty and showing up, we gotta show up and ride our bulls eight seconds at a time to make our money."
Getting back right is most important, though, and he takes the time to go to physical therapy, which many riders forego.
Lockwood must be doing something right with his process, because in just four PBR seasons he has surpassed the $3 million earning mark and is now No. 6 in the league in all-time earnings.
The work ethic that helped get Lockwood where he is today is something instilled in him by two people: his father, who showed him everything he knows about riding, and his high school wrestling coach. They both taught him that nothing's given: you have to go out there and earn it.
"No ones gonna just pay you millions of dollars a year to be just a normal guy," Lockwood said.
Through it all, his favorite part of bull riding is still "the feeling" of successfully riding the animal. Most people never get that feeling, but Lockwood described it like an NFL player catching a game-winning touchdown. He said it's not just the adrenaline rush but the feeling of accomplishing something so few people can do at the highest level possible.
Lockwood's believes his greatest accomplishment is winning the 2019 World Finals.
"That's the toughest bull riding in the world to win," he said.
Going forward, he hopes to become the greatest to ever do it and he has his sights set on four World Titles. With his second win he inched closer to Silvano Alves and Adriano Moraes, who share the record with three World Championships each.
The 2020 season kicks off for Lockwood on January 3 at Madison Square Garden in the Monster Energy Buckoff, which can be watched on CBS and CBS Sports Network throughout the weekend. Lockwood's goal at this event is simple: ride every bull that is put underneath him.
