Young phenom Lockwood wins first career major to open PBR 2017 season

 2016 PBR Rookie of the Year Jess Lockwood (Volborg, Montana) became the toast of New York City in winning the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, the “World’s Most Famous Arena”.
 

Lockwood gritted out a dramatic 82.25-point ride on Naughty List (Jenkins Cattle Co.) in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round, hanging onto the bull rope as he was thrown, beating the 8-second whistle by a fraction of a second, to cap off a 4-for-4 weekend claiming the first event title of the 2017 season. Lockwood earned 860 points toward the PBR world standings, and leaves New York the top-ranked bull rider in the world for the first time in his career.

Marco Eguchi (Poa, Brazil) finished second in New York after a 3-for-4 weekend. Eguchi won Round 3 after an 88-point ride on Machinery Auctioneer’s Little Joe (Rocking I Rodeo Co.), then rode Wicked (J.A.R.S. Bucking Bulls/Gene Owens) for 88.5-points to finish second in the championship round. Eguchi picked up 550 points toward the world standings. 

2016 Built Ford Tough World Finals event champion Ryan Dirteater (Hulbert, Oklahoma) finished in third place and turned in the first 90-point ride of 2017 when he covered Handsome Jeff (K-C/Josie McElroy Bucking Bulls/Sparklin Acres) for 90.5 points to win the championship round. Dirteater, who was banged up and extremely sore after being stepped on last night, went 3-for-4 in New York and earned 378.3 points toward the world standings. 

Fabiano Vieira (Perola, Brazil) claimed fourth place after his own 3-for-4 weekend. Vieira rode It’s Complicated (K-C/RD Cattle/Sparklin Acres) for 83.5 points in Round 3, but was bucked off by Air Marshall (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls) in 2.68 seconds in the championship round. Vieira picked up 258.3 points toward the world standings for the effort. 

Matt Triplett (Columbia Falls, Montana) rounded out the Top 5 after a 2-for-4 performance. Triplett rode Otis (Rocking I Rodeo Co.) for 86.75 points in Round 3 and went on to be bucked off by Who Dey (K-C/Josie McElroy Bucking Bulls/Sparklin Acres) in 3.12 seconds in the championship round. Triplett earned 175 points toward the world standings for the finish.

Hey Jack (Gene Owen/Jane Clark) was named Top Bull after earning a 45.5-point bull score for tossing J.W. Harris (May, Texas) in 2.85 seconds in the championship round.  ~ PBR