{"id":132484,"date":"2026-01-26T19:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T19:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/132484\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T19:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T19:11:09","slug":"tampa-bucks-back-to-life-as-unleash-the-beast-returned-after-a-14-year-absence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/132484\/","title":{"rendered":"Tampa bucks back to life as Unleash the Beast returned after a 14-year absence"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

As much of the United States endured severe winter weather, Tampa, Florida delivered a stark contrast. On Friday night, the Sunshine State returned to the center of the bull riding world as PBR Unleash The Beast made its first appearance in Tampa in 14 years, marking Stop No. 6 of the 2026 regular-season schedule.<\/p>\n

Inside a packed arena, fans waited for a sound they had not heard live in more than a decade\u2014\u201cIt\u2019s time to Unleash the Beast!\u201d From the opening ceremonies forward, Tampa produced elite bull rides, top-tier bucking bulls, Championship Round 90s, and the atmosphere expected from the premier series of the toughest sport on Earth.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Several questions defined the opening round. Would the world standings shift again? Could\u00a0Jos\u00e9 Vitor Leme regain momentum? Would Jess Lockwood continue his return toward championship form? And could Dalton Kasel capitalize on opportunity?<\/p>\n

By the end of Night One, those questions were answered.<\/p>\n

Twenty-one qualified rides opened the weekend.<\/p>\n

TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS \u2014 FRIDAY NIGHT
January 23, 2026<\/p>\n

No. 3 \u2014 Jess Lockwood\u2019s Momentum Continued<\/p>\n

Jess Lockwood continued his upward trend.<\/p>\n

For the third consecutive week, the two-time World Champion won at least one go-round. Riding Raider, Lockwood delivered an 89.50-point ride to win Round 1 and earn 28 world points.<\/p>\n

No. 2 \u2014 Jos\u00e9 Vitor Leme Regained Form<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Vitor Leme showed clear signs of returning to form.<\/p>\n

Matched up with Paleface, Leme posted an 87.70-point qualified ride. The performance marked a positive step forward after a slow start to the season and reestablished his presence among the top contenders.<\/p>\n

No. 1 \u2014 Dalton Kasel Reclaimed the World Lead<\/p>\n

Dalton Kasel took advantage when the opportunity presented itself.<\/p>\n

After Julio Cesar Marquez was bucked off Nasubi, Kasel covered Crazy Socks for 84.75 points. With the qualified ride, Kasel moved back to No. 1 in the PBR World Standings.<\/p>\n

Could Dalton Kasel make it three victories in December and January alone? That question carried into Saturday night.<\/p>\n

MONSTER ENERGY TEAM CHALLENGE \u2014 MUST-RIDE SITUATIONS<\/p>\n

Friday night also featured several riders competing under must-ride conditions as part of the Monster Energy Team Challenge. Entering Tampa on team invites, advancement was not optional\u2014failure to record a qualified ride ended the weekend.<\/p>\n

Elizmar Jeremias, riding for the Florida Freedom, was bucked off Midnight Hammer at 6.75 seconds.<\/p>\n

JaCauy Hale, riding for the Oklahoma Wildcatters, drew Short Fire and came off at 2.32 seconds. Short Fire recorded a 44.55 bull score, one of the highest of the night.<\/p>\n

Braidy Randolph, riding for the Texas Rattlers, covered Boot Barn’s Skunk Kitty for 70.05 points, electing to take the score rather than a re-ride to guarantee advancement into Round 2.<\/p>\n

EVENT STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 1<\/p>\n

These were the top twelve in the aggregate heading into Round 2 and Championship Saturday night:<\/p>\n

Jess Lockwood \u2014 89.50 \u2014 28 points<\/p>\n

Thiago Salgado \u2014 88.80 \u2014 18 points<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Vitor Leme \u2014 87.70 \u2014 17 points<\/p>\n

Kaiden Loud \u2014 87.10 \u2014 16 points<\/p>\n

Paulo Eduardo Rossetto \u2014 86.75 \u2014 15 points<\/p>\n

Daylon Swearingen \u2014 86.15 \u2014 14 points<\/p>\n

Koltin Hevalow \u2014 86.05 \u2014 13 points<\/p>\n

Luciano De Castro \u2014 85.85 \u2014 12 points<\/p>\n

Sage Steele Kimzey \u2014 85.80 \u2014 11 points<\/p>\n

Kaique Pacheco \u2014 85.65 \u2014 10 points<\/p>\n

Leandro Zampollo \u2014 85.60 \u2014 9 points<\/p>\n

Hudson Bolton \u2014 85.55 \u2014 8 points<\/p>\n

SATURDAY LOOMED<\/p>\n

With Round 1 complete, attention shifted to Round 2 and the Championship Round on Saturday night. World points, event positioning, and momentum were all at stake on a condensed schedule where every opportunity mattered.<\/p>\n

TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS \u2014 CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY NIGHT
January 24, 2026<\/p>\n

No. 3 \u2014 Daniel Keeping Answered the Call When It Mattered Most<\/p>\n

Few rides all season carried more weight than Daniel Keeping\u2019s in Round 2.<\/p>\n

Entering Tampa on the bubble and facing a cut scenario, Keeping needed a qualified ride to remain on the Unleash The Beast Tour. He delivered in emphatic fashion, riding The Player for 90.65 points, winning Round 2 and keeping his season at the elite level alive.<\/p>\n

It was a must-ride situation in every sense. Fail, and he was dropped from the top tour. Succeed, and the door stayed open. Keeping hung on to ensure the latter and moved up to No. 32 in the standings.<\/p>\n

No. 2 \u2014 Clay Guiton Made History in the Championship Round<\/p>\n

The Championship Round belonged to Clay Guiton.<\/p>\n

Matched up with Sober Child, the Carolina cowboy delivered a 90.90-point ride, becoming the first rider to cover the bull, securing the Championship Round victory and finishing second in the event. Guiton is now fourth in the UTB standings.<\/p>\n

Jess Lockwood followed with a remarkable effort of his own, finishing second in the Championship Round after riding Lights Out for 90.35 points.<\/p>\n

No. 1 \u2014 Jess Lockwood\u2019s Weekend Was a Statement<\/p>\n

Jess Lockwood was exceptional from start to finish.<\/p>\n

The two-time World Champion won Round 1, rode all three of his bulls, and became the only rider all weekend to do so, capturing his first event victory in six years. He rocketed to No. 8 in the world.<\/p>\n

Concern followed celebration.<\/p>\n

Lockwood appeared to suffer a possible injury following his Championship Round dismount\u2014an unsettling moment given his injury history and the serious setbacks he has battled through, injuries that would have ended most careers. His resilience has been extraordinary, but his health moving forward will be something to monitor closely.<\/p>\n

Tampa was a reminder that when healthy, Jess Lockwood is back as one of the most complete riders in the world.<\/p>\n

SATURDAY NIGHT RESULTS<\/p>\n

Round 2 Go-Round Winner:
Daniel Keeping \u2014 90.65 aboard The Player<\/p>\n

TOP FIVE AGGREGATE WINNERS \u2014 TAMPA<\/p>\n

Jess Lockwood \u2014 267.65 three-round aggregate \u2014 141 world points<\/p>\n

Clay Guiton \u2014 180.00 \u2014 97 world points<\/p>\n

Sage Steele Kimzey \u2014 173.90 \u2014 63 world points<\/p>\n

Dalton Kasel \u2014 173.65 \u2014 46 world points<\/p>\n

Paulo Eduardo Rossetto \u2014 172.80 \u2014 44 world points<\/p>\n

COMPLETE EVENT RESULTS \u2014 TAMPA<\/p>\n

Complete, official event results from Tampa can be found HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2026 PBR UNLEASH THE BEAST WORLD STANDINGS HEADING INTO SACRAMENTO<\/p>\n

Up-to-date 2026 Unleash The Beast World Championship standings heading into Sacramento can be found HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

HONORABLE MENTIONS<\/p>\n

The Passing of a Legend \u2014 Cool Whip\"\"<\/p>\n

I was heartbroken to hear of the passing of one of my favorite bucking bulls of all time\u2014Cool Whip.<\/p>\n

Cool Whip was as gentle as they come. He was the kind of bull you trusted. I\u2019ve been around him myself, stood beside him, watched people scratch his head, talk to him, and treat him like an old friend. That was simply who he was.<\/p>\n

Which is why this loss cuts so deeply.<\/p>\n

For Cool Whip to react the way he did in an altercation with his handler H.D. Page, he must have been in serious pain. He would not have turned on anyone under normal circumstances. Tragically, H.D. Page sustained significant injuries in the incident. He is now home, recovering, and expected to do well, though surgeries and unexpected medical expenses lie ahead.<\/p>\n

I want to extend my sincere condolences to Staci Addison, Tommy Julian, who previously owned Cool Whip, and the entire Page family on their loss. Miss Staci has always been incredibly kind to me, and I love her dearly. This loss is felt far beyond the pens and far beyond the arena.<\/p>\n

This is the first time I can honestly say my heart has been broken by the passing of a bucking bull.<\/p>\n

Rest easy, Cool Whip.<\/p>\n

And when I get to that big bull riding in the sky one day, you and me\u2014we\u2019re going to dance.<\/p>\n

There is a GoFundMe that has been set up by H.D. Page\u2019s family to help support his recovery. I encourage anyone who would like to contribute to consider donating.<\/p>\n

GoFundMe for H.D. Page\u2019s medical expenses, click HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Thank you for everything you do, H.D. God bless you, and wishing you a speedy recovery, my friend.<\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As much of the United States endured severe winter weather, Tampa, Florida delivered a stark contrast. On Friday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":132485,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[65129,63958,63955,65128,65143,63220,65139,65135,63957,65130,65138,63959,65131,63949,63953,63219,65133,64076,63226,65137,65148,65136,65144,63948,63954,65134,65142,63218,65147,65140,65145,135,137,136,65146,65132,65141,63214],"class_list":["post-132484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-boot-barns-skunk-kitty","tag-braidy-randolph","tag-clay-guiton","tag-cool-whip","tag-crazy-socks","tag-dalton-kasel","tag-daniel-keeping","tag-daylon-swearingen","tag-elizmar-jeremias","tag-h-d-page","tag-hudson-bolton","tag-jacauy-hale","tag-jess-lockwood","tag-john-crimber","tag-jose-vitor-leme","tag-julio-cesar-marques","tag-kaiden-loud","tag-kaique-pacheco","tag-koltin-hevalow","tag-leandro-zampollo","tag-lights-out","tag-luciano-de-castro","tag-midnight-hammer","tag-nasubi","tag-paleface","tag-paulo-eduardo-rossetto","tag-raider","tag-sage-steele-kimzey","tag-sober-child","tag-staci-addison","tag-surefire","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news","tag-the-player","tag-thiago-salgado","tag-tommy-julian","tag-unleash-the-beast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}