Rob Smets was born September 11, 1959, in Palo Alto, California. While attending Salinas, California, High School, he entered every rodeo event except boys cutting. Critical of the bullfighters, he was told to see if he could do it better. Bill Landis, a bullfighter, mentored Smets and in no time he was, in fact, doing it better.
He joined the PRCA in 1978 and became one of the best bullfighters in the business. In time he worked for Harry Vold, Neal Gay, Jim Shoulders, Cotton Rosser and Christensen Brothers, bullfighting at most major rodeos and many others. Smets was chosen to bullfight at the NFR six times (1983, 1987, 1989, 1990 and 2000). He is a nine-time PBR Bullfighting World Champion, and received the nickname the “Kamikazi Kid” because of his daring. Smets received the Wrangler NFR World Bullfighting Championship five times. He is in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Bull Riders Hall of Fame, and received the PBR Heroes & Legends – Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award. An ordained minister, Smets and his wife, Carla, live in Ross Hill, Texas.
