Bobby Kerr and his mustang sit in a car during the historic 94th annual Texas Cowboy Reunion in Stamford on Friday, July 5, 2024. Naomi Skinner/Times Record News / USA TODAY NETWORK

PRCA Rodeo Act, Bobby Kerr, Continues to Preform Despite Ongoing Cancer Battle

Originally posted on Rodeo on SI | By Kate Robinson | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 3:00 PM ET

Legendary specialty rodeo act Bobby Kerr has been battling esophageal cancer since a diagnosis in 2021. Despite this, he has not let it slow him down in the rodeo arena. It’s rare to see him in the PRORODEO arena without a smile on his face.

It’s been two decades since Kerr first stepped into the arena; his first PRCA performance was in 2014. His latest performance was at the Spanish Fork Rodeo in Utah.

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His job has never been easy, but his recent battle has deemed it the toughest. After rounds of seemingly successful chemotherapy in 2021, the tumor shrank. As Kerr continued to perform in 2022, he noticed something still wasn’t right.

In a post on social media, he wrote,

“I was feeling pretty good other than that chemo feeling, & in January I got a bad scan, they changed my chemo, and I had to wear a pump, then I got a couple good scans. Our calendar was booked full with rodeos, so I talked to my oncologist and decided to hit the Rodeo Trail. I love what we do and I didn’t want to let no one down .”

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A post shared by Bobby Kerr (@bobbykerrmustang)

By 2023, the cancer had spread to his stomach, liver, chest, and lungs. It was at that point that doctors advised Kerr to quit his performance and focus on his health, but what was his life if not in the arena with his horses?

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Kerr decided then that he was not going back to chemotherapy treatments or experimental drugs. He wanted to live the rest of his life doing what he loves: performing. He decided to manage the pain himself and get back on the road for as long as he can.

Last fall, doctors believed Kerr wouldn’t see the end of the year. But he defied the odds, and the cancer remained steady until May, when a new growth was found. After being offered hospice care, Bobby chose another season in the arena instead.

Kerr has known rodeo his entire life. He’s been training horses for the last 50 years and is known for pairing his dogs with the act. One act features a horse sitting in an old car that he designed himself, with two dogs resting on the hood.

It’s that act that helped him win the PRCA Specialty Act of the Year Award five times. In 2012, he won the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover as a fan favorite. He’s been to the NFR once.

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A post shared by Bobby Kerr (@bobbykerrmustang)

Kerr created the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and was later inducted into the hall he founded in 2021. Although he’s had to cancel some stops along the way this season, the PRORODEO community has rallied around Kerr.

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Kerr continues to perform despite his ongoing battle with cancer, and plans to do so for as long as he can.

“From the support at home from family and friends to the kindness of strangers across the country, we are reminded daily that this journey is not ours alone,” he wrote on social media, “The Kerr family thanks each and every one of you for your continued prayers, encouragement, and love. Your support means more than words can ever express.”

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This article first appeared on Rodeo on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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