Rob Smets

Last updated

Robert Edward "Rob" Smets (born September 11, 1959, Palo Alto, California), [1] [2] known professionally as The Kamikaze Kid, [3] [4] is an American former professional rodeo bullfighter.

Contents

Biography

Smets was born in Palo Alto, California to Bill and Ebe Smets. [5] As a child, he lived in Thailand, Singapore, Puerto Rico, and Australia. [1] [3] [5] After returning to the United States as a teenager, he lived in San Martin, California and attended Palma High School in Salinas. [5] He entered high school rodeos starting in his sophomore year. [3] [6]

In 2012, Rob Smets starred in Jägermeister's "A Stronger Bond" television and digital campaign.[ citation needed ]

Career

While bull riding as a teenager, Smets taunted some of the bullfighters for not protecting riders well enough after the riders fell. They challenged him to try being a bullfighter himself, which he did. [3] He made a name for himself early on, distracting bulls after riders had fallen, so the riders could leave the ring safely.

During the 20 years of the Wrangler Bullfighting Tour which culminated at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) from 1981-2000, Smets was a top-six finisher 17 times. He also won the championship five times, a record. He was selected six times to be a cowboy protection bullfighter at the NFR (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989-1990, 2000). He was also an eight-time Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Finals bullfighter (1994-1995, 2000-2005). At the 2001 PBR World Finals, Smets no longer wore his traditional baggy clown outfit and began wearing a sport jersey and shorts that featured his sponsors' logos. This was the blueprint for future PBR bullfighter outfits as in 2003, all bullfighters in the organization would stop wearing traditional clown outfits and make-up and trade them for sport jerseys and shorts with corporate sponsor logos. In subsequent years, many bullfighters in other organizations would also adopt the sport jersey and shorts look, but keep their make-up.

In 2006, Smets was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. [7] He was also inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in April 2010. [1] [8] [9] Smets came out of retirement one final time at the 2011 PBR World Finals, where he fought the first three bulls of the first round of the event. He wore his old baggy outfit that he used prior to the 2001 PBR World Finals. [10] Also, he was the inaugural recipient of the PBR Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. [11] In 2017, Smets was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in the Bull Fighters category. [12] In 2019, he was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. [13]

Smets was also a stock contractor, although he only owned one bull. But that one bull was a highly ranked PBR bucking bull, #80 Jeremiah. The bull's full name was Jeremiah 33:3 for the bible verse. [14] Jeremiah was active from 2013 to 2017 and began bucking on the elite Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) circuit in 2014. [15] In 2015, Jeremiah was chosen as a world champion bull contender at the 2015 PBR BFTS World Finals. [16]

Injuries

During his bullfighting career, Smets was injured many times, including suffering a broken neck three times, in 1992, 1996, and 2006. [3] [8] Although these injuries often paralyze people who suffer them, Smets' main problem from them was limited motion in his neck. [17] He retired from bullfighting in 2006, after breaking his neck for the third time. [2] Smets had also been gored by a bull's horn and had broken a leg. [17]

Personal

Smets and his wife, Carla, married in 1993, and they have four daughters, Corey, Dylan, Josie, and Sammy. [3] [8] [17] They live on a ranch in Merkel, Texas. [17] Rob Smets is a Christian who evangelizes on his public Facebook page and on the public Facebook page he created for his bucking bull, Jeremiah 33:3. [18]

Honors

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bull riding</span> Rodeo sport

Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodeo clown</span> Bull riding competition performer

A rodeo clown, bullfighter or rodeo protection athlete, is a rodeo performer who works in bull riding competitions. Originally, the rodeo clown was a single job combining "bullfighting" — the protection of riders thrust from the bull, as well as being an individual who provided comic relief. Today, the job is split into two separate ones: bullfighters who protect the riders from the bull, and entertainers (barrelmen) who provide comic humor. However, in some parts of the world and at some small rodeos, the jobs of bull rider protection and comic remain combined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lane Frost</span> American bull rider (1963–1989)

Lane Clyde Frost was an American professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding, and competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He was the 1987 PRCA World Champion bull rider. He was also the only rider ever to score a qualified ride on Red Rock, the 1987 PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bodacious (bull)</span> American bucking bull (1988-2000)

Bodacious #J-31 was an American bucking bull. He was known throughout the rodeo world as "the world's most dangerous bull". He was also known as "the greatest bull ever to buck". During his rodeo career, he was the 1994 and 1995 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) Bucking Bull of the Year, as well as the 1995 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Bull. He and Bruiser are the only bulls who have won bucking bull world championship titles in both organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ProRodeo Hall of Fame</span> Hall of fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, present and future." It is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and only inducts Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Women's Professional Rodeo Association members. It is the "only museum in the world devoted exclusively to the sport of professional rodeo."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ty Murray</span> American rodeo cowboy

Ty Monroe Murray, is an American former professional rodeo cowboy. He competed in the three "roughstock" events; bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding. He won nine world championships in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA); seven in all-around and two in bull riding. He was also one of the co-founders and a board adviser of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). From 2005 to 2020, he was also a regular color commentator for several televised PBR events.

Christopher Lee Shivers is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding, and competed on the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit. He turned pro in 1997, and won the PBR world championship in 2000 and 2003.

Larry Mahan was an American professional rodeo cowboy. He won six all-around world championships and two bull riding world championships in the Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit at the National Finals Rodeo.

James A. Shoulders was an American professional rodeo cowboy and rancher. He is commemorated at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. At the time of his death, he was one of the most successful contestants in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), having won 16 World Championships, which was the most of any performer at that time. He was known as the 'Babe Ruth of rodeo'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuff Hedeman</span> American bull rider

Richard Neale "Tuff" Hedeman is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. He won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bull riding world championship three times, as well as the 1995 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) world championship. He also won the 1993 world championship for the now-defunct Bull Riders Only (BRO) organization. He is also one of the co-founders of the PBR and is known for having been one of rodeo icon Lane Frost's closest friends. He and the infamous bucking bull, Bodacious, had a few historic clashes. He later served as the President of the PBR and then the President and Ambassador of Championship Bull Riding (CBR). In 2018, he formed his own bull riding organization: the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour (THBRT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J.B. Mauney</span> American bull rider

James Burton "J.B." Mauney is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. At the very beginning of his career, he rode in both the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and Championship Bull Riding (CBR) circuits, before deciding to ride full-time in the PBR in early 2006. He won the PBR Rookie of the Year title that same year and was a top contestant in said organization for several years, eventually winning the PBR world championship in 2013 and 2015. During the last few years of his career, he competed full-time in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He is considered one of the greatest bull riders of his generation.

DonaldGay is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. He won eight Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bull riding world championships; a record as of 2024. His father, Neal Gay, was a well-known rodeo competitor and later rodeo producer and stock contractor. Don was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979; Neal was inducted in 1993, becoming the only father and son to receive that honor. In 2015, Don was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.

Jimmy D. "Jungle" Anderson was an American professional rodeo bullfighter.

James Carroll Sharp is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. In 1988, he became the first bull rider in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)'s National Finals Rodeo history to successfully ride each of his 10 bulls during the champion-crowning event. The record-breaking performance earned Sharp his first of two PRCA World Champion Bull Rider titles. He rode professionally for nearly 20 years, and was a co-founder of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). He is considered among the most talented bull riders in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skoal Pacific Bell</span> American bucking bull (1981-1993)

Skoal Pacific Bell #14 was an American bucking bull best known for being the only three-time consecutive Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Bucking Bull of the Year and for only being ridden 5 times in 150 attempts. In 2007, he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. As of 2016, he was the seventh and most recent bull so honored. The PRCA said in an official YouTube induction video that "Skoal Pacific Bell was a crowd pleaser and a cowboy challenger."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Bull Riders: Heroes and Legends</span>

The Professional Bull Riders Heroes and Legends celebration honors five divisions in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), including the best bucking bulls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bull Riding Hall of Fame</span> Hall of Fame in Texas, United States

The Bull Riding Hall of Fame, located at Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, is a hall of fame for the sport of bull riding. It is incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of Texas, and created to "recognize, memorialize, and applaud the bull riders, bullfighters, bulls, stock contractors, events, and individuals who have made a historic contribution and attained stellar performance in the sport." Membership is open to fans worldwide.

Bruiser #32Y was an American bucking bull. He is the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Bull for 2016, 2017, and 2018. He is one of only two bucking bulls to win the title in three consecutive years. He is also the 2017 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) Bucking Bull of the Year. Bruiser and Bodacious are the only bulls to win both titles and they also did it in the same year: Bruiser did it in 2017 and Bodacious in 1995. Bruiser is the PRCA Reserve Bucking Bull of the Year in 2015. Bruiser tied for the PBR title in 2016 with two other bulls, and the tiebreaker went to him. Bruiser won the 2017 PBR title in a close race against Pearl Harbor. Bruiser won the title outright in 2018. Bruiser is also the American Bucking Bull (ABBI) Classic Final winner in 2015. He also won several other notable titles. SweetPro's Bruiser was retired from competition in 2021 at the age of ten. He died at age 11 on May 17, 2022.

Spotted Demon #35 is an American retired bucking bull. In his career, he competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuits. He was the 2018 PRCA Bull of the Year, as well as the 2018 Bull of the National Finals Rodeo (NFR).

Skipper Voss is an American former professional rodeo bullfighter.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pitt, Timothy E. (November 2003). "Rob Smets". Sports Illustrated Kids . 15 (11): 60.
  2. 1 2 Johnston, Harvey (March 26, 2006). "Bullfighter Smets, bull rider Sharp to be enshrined". Abilene Reporter-News.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hiestand, Michael (February 23, 2005). "No room for clowning in these rings". USA Today . p. C3. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ Smith, Marcia C. (February 11, 2006). "Tired of Running With The Bulls". The Orange County Register .
  5. 1 2 3 Santos, Kendra. "Rob Smets". Archived from the original on June 14, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
  6. ↑ Johnston, Harvey (February 5, 2006). "Merkel bullfighter Smets schedules retirement". Abilene Reporter-News.
  7. 1 2 "Rob Smets - Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame". Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 Courchesne, Shawn (November 17, 2002). "He has to Endure a Lot of Bull – 'Rodeo Clown' Image Tough to Shake". The Hartford Courant .
  9. 1 2 "Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame: Past Inductees". www.texasrodeocowboy.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Rob Smets' Last Bullfights". Flickr. October 26, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Professional Bull Riders - Jim Shoulders Award: Rob Smets". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  12. ↑ "The Bull Riding Hall of Fame Class of 2017". The Bull Riding Hall of Fame. www.the-bull-riding-hall-of-fame.com. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Rob Smets in the Rodeo Hall of Fame". National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Jeremiah 33:3". www.facebook.com. Facebook. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  15. ↑ "80 Jeremiah (27978) bull profile & stats". probullstats.com. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  16. ↑ "2015 PBR World Champion Bull contenders announced". Professional Bull Riders. www.pbr.com. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Kavanaugh, Lee Hill (October 25, 1998). "The Greatest Show on Dirt: Rob Smets Literally Breaks His Neck to Put on a Good Rodeo Show". The Kansas City Star.
  18. ↑ "Rob Smets - "The Bull Fighter" | Conquer Series". Conquer Series. October 12, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  19. ↑ "St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame - Rob Smets". www.stpaulrodeo.com. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  21. ↑ "2014 Hall of Fame Inductee Photos & Bios". California Rodeo Salinas. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Bull Riding Hall of Fame inductees". Bull Riding Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Walk of Fame - Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce,OR". www.molallachamber.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Rodeo Hall of Fame". National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.