HELENA — Three-time PRCA Specialty Act of the Year and 2021 Entertainer of the Year, Bobby Kerr 'the Mustang Man' will be performing all weekend long at the Last Chance Stampede.
His journey training mustangs started in 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas where he took part in the Mustang Makeover.
“120 days you pick up a wild horse, and then you go compete against everybody else 120 days later, and it paid like 50 grand, and only four months worth of work. And so I tried it. And if you make the finals, you get to do a freestyle, three-and-a-half minute freestyle,” Kerr said.
Two of his mustangs used in this week's show are from his time doing the Mustang Makeover, another he adopted from Litchfield Wild Horse & Burro Corrals in Wendel, California.
The secret to his success? Trust.
"It's just a different type of horsemanship, not old school. Like I said, You got to build a relationship. And these wild horses, you know, once you gain their trust and become their buddies, they'll do almost anything for you if you treat them right. And that's basically my as my whole deal," he said.
Kerr and his mustang buddies will show off new moves each night.
“Some horsemanship, lead changes and spins and shooting and the lay down, I got an old car, we'll jump over some fire, jump over the car. I got some dogs, you know, the dog leads me and my horse. And we'll do a little cutting horse routine with the dogs. There's a little something for everybody," Kerr said.
The Last Chance Stampede serves as Kerr’s first time performing in Montana.
“Oh, just hopefully, it's a big old crowd and they get into it. I bet they will. Because, you know, we're kind of in the country here," Kerr said. "And, and you know, I think a lot of cowboys and ranchers can appreciate what we do, relate to it, you know, and I seem to get along with that kind of crowd.”
Kerr hopes rodeo-goers will stop by and chat with him after his performances about his mustangs.
"There's 100,000 head of wild horse is still roaming free today," Kerr said. "There's 50,000 in long- or short-term holding, either waiting to get adopted or they go and they are fed by ranchers, basically until they die. And you know, a lot of people say just let them run free, but they need to be managed, you know, and gathered up because of droughts and make sure they are well taken care of and not out of something to eat or out of water. So a lot of people don't realize that. So you know when they come and talk to me maybe after the rodeo at the trailer, I explain to them the situation."
