Rob Smets
{{Short description|American bullfighter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
Robert Edward "Rob" Smets (born September 11, 1959, Palo Alto, California),{{cite journal|title=Rob Smets |journal=Sports Illustrated Kids |date=Nov 2003 |volume=15 |issue=11 |page=60 |author=Pitt, Timothy E.}}{{cite news |title=Bullfighter Smets, bull rider Sharp to be enshrined |publisher=Abilene Reporter-News |date=2006-03-26 |author=Johnston, Harvey}} known professionally as The Kamikaze Kid,{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/tenworstjobs-3-bullfighter.htm|title=No room for clowning in these rings|date=2005-02-23|newspaper=USA Today|page=C3|author=Hiestand, Michael|access-date=20 April 2015}}{{cite news |title=Tired of Running With The Bulls |newspaper=The Orange County Register |date=2006-02-11 |author=Smith, Marcia C.}} is an American former professional rodeo bullfighter.
Biography
Smets was born in Palo Alto, California to Bill and Ebe Smets.{{cite web|url=http://www.robsmets.com/about.cfm |title=Rob Smets |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614070843/http://www.robsmets.com/about.cfm |archive-date=June 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |author=Santos, Kendra |access-date=5 July 2009 }} As a child, he lived in Thailand, Singapore, Puerto Rico, and Australia. After returning to the United States as a teenager, he lived in San Martin, California and attended Palma High School in Salinas. He entered high school rodeos starting in his sophomore year.{{cite news |title=Merkel bullfighter Smets schedules retirement |publisher=Abilene Reporter-News |date=2006-02-05 |author=Johnston, Harvey}}
In 2012, Rob Smets starred in Jägermeister's "A Stronger Bond" television and digital campaign.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}
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. 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.{{cite web|title=Rob Smets - Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|url=http://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/by-category/contract-personnel/rob-smets/|website=Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|access-date=9 October 2016|archive-date=October 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010212028/http://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/by-category/contract-personnel/rob-smets/|url-status=dead}} He was also inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in April 2010.{{cite news |title=He has to Endure a Lot of Bull – 'Rodeo Clown' Image Tough to Shake |newspaper=The Hartford Courant |date=2002-11-17 |author=Courchesne, Shawn}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.texasrodeocowboy.com/past_inductees.html|title=Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame: Past Inductees|website=www.texasrodeocowboy.com|access-date=18 April 2017|archive-date=August 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816234917/http://www.texasrodeocowboy.com/past_inductees.html|url-status=dead}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/8393741@N07/6313609823/|title=Rob Smets' Last Bullfights|website=Flickr|date=October 26, 2011 |access-date=25 July 2021}} Also, he was the inaugural recipient of the PBR Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pbr.com/en/riders/heroes-and-legends/jim-shoulders-award/2011/rob-smets.aspx|title=Professional Bull Riders - Jim Shoulders Award: Rob Smets|website=Professional Bull Riders|access-date=20 April 2017|archive-date=April 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420235257/http://www.pbr.com/en/riders/heroes-and-legends/jim-shoulders-award/2011/rob-smets.aspx|url-status=dead}} In 2017, Smets was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in the Bull Fighters category.{{cite web|title=The Bull Riding Hall of Fame Class of 2017|url=http://www.the-bull-riding-hall-of-fame.com/class-of-2017.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924112840/http://www.the-bull-riding-hall-of-fame.com/class-of-2017.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 24, 2017|website=The Bull Riding Hall of Fame|publisher=www.the-bull-riding-hall-of-fame.com|access-date=4 June 2017}} In 2019, he was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.{{cite web|title=Rob Smets in the Rodeo Hall of Fame|url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/rodeo-hall-of-fame/rob-smeats/|website=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum|access-date=July 21, 2022}}
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.{{cite web|title=Jeremiah 33:3|url=https://www.facebook.com/Jeremiah-333-1537602442959092/|website=www.facebook.com|publisher=Facebook|access-date=4 November 2017|language=en}} Jeremiah was active from 2013 to 2017 and began bucking on the elite Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) circuit in 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://probullstats.com/bulls/27978|title=80 Jeremiah (27978) bull profile & stats|website=probullstats.com|language=en|access-date=26 April 2017}} In 2015, Jeremiah was chosen as a world champion bull contender at the 2015 PBR BFTS World Finals.{{cite web|title=2015 PBR World Champion Bull contenders announced|url=http://www.pbr.com/en/news/press-releases/2015/10/2015-pbr-world-champion-bull-contenders-announced.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009030320/http://www.pbr.com/en/news/press-releases/2015/10/2015-pbr-world-champion-bull-contenders-announced.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 9, 2015|website=Professional Bull Riders|publisher=www.pbr.com|access-date=March 10, 2018}}
Injuries
During his bullfighting career, Smets was injured many times, including suffering a broken neck three times, in 1992, 1996, and 2006. Although these injuries often paralyze people who suffer them, Smets' main problem from them was limited motion in his neck.{{cite news |title=The Greatest Show on Dirt: Rob Smets Literally Breaks His Neck to Put on a Good Rodeo Show |publisher=The Kansas City Star |date=1998-10-25 |author=Kavanaugh, Lee Hill}} He retired from bullfighting in 2006, after breaking his neck for the third time. Smets had also been gored by a bull's horn and had broken a leg.
Personal
Smets and his wife, Carla, married in 1993, and they have four daughters, Corey, Dylan, Josie, and Sammy. They live on a ranch in Merkel, Texas. 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.{{cite web|title=Rob Smets - "The Bull Fighter" {{!}} Conquer Series|url=https://conquerseries.com/rob-smets-the-bull-fighter/|website=Conquer Series|access-date=4 November 2017|date=12 October 2012}}
Honors
- 2006 ProRodeo Hall of Fame
- 2008 St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame{{Cite web|url=http://d2w7gersd1ix5b.cloudfront.net/files.ashx?t=fg&f=2008.pdf&rid=StPaulRodeo|title=St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame - Rob Smets|website=www.stpaulrodeo.com|access-date=15 May 2017}}
- 2010 Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame
- 2011 PBR Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award{{cite web|title=Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award|url=https://pbr.com/heroes-legends#jim|website=Professional Bull Riders|access-date=August 18, 2023}}
- 2014 California Rodeo Salinas Hall of Fame{{cite web|title=2014 Hall of Fame Inductee Photos & Bios|url=http://www.carodeo.com/p/264|publisher=California Rodeo Salinas|access-date=18 May 2017}}
- 2017 Bull Riding Hall of Fame{{cite web|title=Bull Riding Hall of Fame inductees|url=https://thebullridinghof.com/pages/inductee-list|website=Bull Riding Hall of Fame|access-date=August 19, 2023}}
- 2017 Molalla Walk of Fame{{cite web|title=Walk of Fame - Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce,OR|url=http://www.molallachamber.com/pages/WalkofFame|website=www.molallachamber.com|access-date=17 May 2017|archive-date=July 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728201948/http://www.molallachamber.com/pages/WalkofFame|url-status=dead}}
- 2019 Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum{{cite web|title=Rodeo Hall of Fame|url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/rodeo-hall-of-fame/rob-smeats/|website=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum|access-date=July 21, 2022}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.robsmets.com/ Rob Smets official website]
- [https://www.facebook.com/Rob-Smets-175943102864/?hc_ref=ARSh2EJOVTbDoLFt2-9z4_pEiadWIz0teghhiHsUbEZCEQQYQajwtDouH1L_nzFRGvQ&fref=nf Rob Smets Facebook page]
- [https://www.facebook.com/Jeremiah-333-1537602442959092/ Jeremiah 33:3 Bucking Bull Facebook page]
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Category:ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Sportspeople from Palo Alto, California
Category:21st-century evangelicals
Category:American evangelicals
Category:People from Taylor County, Texas