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In what promises to be an incredible show, this year’s Sister’s Rodeo specialty act features the Bobby Kerr Mustang Act.

Kerr is renowned throughout the nation for his unique ability to turn wild Mustangs into horses that bring audiences to their feet, gasping and laughing as they witness the horses’ skills and antics. Through tricks and riding, Kerr honors the American Mustang, demonstrating the incredible trust and courage he gains with these formerly wild horses.

After training horses for 40 years, Kerr attended the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2010. This event assigns wild mustangs to trainers who then have 120 days to get their horse ready for a sophisticated competition. The horse and rider perform a variety of skills, including trails, cow class and reining. The highest scoring horses advance to the Legends division, where they face final judging based on freestyle performances.

Kerr was “blown away,” as his wife, Susan described it, by the training accomplished in just 120 days, and also by the quality of the wild Mustangs.

“He had always thought Mustangs were like ponies,” Susan explained. “So he’d never had an interest in them.”

That all changed.

In his first competition a year later, Kerr’s mustangs, Poncho and Lefty, placed fourth and fifth. While placing was exciting, he was even more pleased when he was voted “fan favorite.” Since then, he has never looked back, turning his new-found interest in Mustangs into a career.

His stable of these talented horses grows every year. In 2012, Kerr won the Champion of Legends division at the Mustang Makeover. And, for the second year in a row, he won “fan favorite” — this time with his horse Maypop.

The Mustang Heritage program, supported by the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro program, sponsors the Mustang Makeover. Through the program’s competitive demonstration of the beauty, versatility and trainability of the wild Mustang, more than 5,000 horses have been adopted.

In addition to his participation in the annual Mustang Makeover competition, which attracts the best horse trainers in the nation and draws fans from across the states, Kerr has taken his Mustangs even further by performing at rodeos and horse events nationwide.

In January, he won the IPRA Contract Act Showcase — Dress Class, during the International Finals in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with Poncho.

Poncho, Jinglebob and Trigger will be performing with Kerr at the Sisters Rodeo during all performances.

“I’m really excited about coming to Sisters,” Kerr expressed. “All I hear about from other performers and rodeo competitors is how much we’ll love it and how beautiful the setting is.”

— Courtesy of Bonnie Malone, Sisters Rodeo