Kyle Callaway passes away after cancer battle
PRORODEO steer wrestler and team roping header Kyle Callaway passed away on Feb. 24 after a sustained fight with brain cancer. He was 41.
Callaway qualified for the Mountain State Circuit Finals Rodeo, Montana Circuit Finals Rodeo and Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo during his 13-year career. He also reached the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in 2008.
“He loved steer wrestling. He loved the guys, the camaraderie and everything about rodeo,” his wife of nine years, Anna Callaway, said. “He loved the traveling, going to the beer stand afterward and pushing steers. He loved all of it. I breakaway rope, and he was always there to push my calf. We went to a lot of rodeos together as a family.”
Kyle and Anna operated a feedlot in Billings, Mont., for the last five years. Callaway is survived by his wife, Anna, and three children, daughters Elsie (10) and Cleah (6) and son Huckleberry (3).
“He had a ton of friends, and I’d say all of his friends considered him as their best friend,” Anna Callaway said.
In 2022, Callaway was diagnosed with a malignant Glioblastoma Astrocytoma brain tumor and underwent surgery to remove the mass.
After the surgery, Callaway’s recovery seemed to be on the right track for the better part of three years. He returned to competition in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and even placed second in the first round of steer wrestling during the RAM Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo in November.
“He had a bad scan in September (2024) and they found out it came back,” Anna Callaway said. “He’d already made the circuit finals at that time and said he wanted to get there and compete. That was his main goal. So we did that, and then we started fighting it.”
Callaway underwent various treatments over the coming months before he passed away.
“Rodeo used to be a thing I had to do. This has changed my perspective. We don’t have to do it. We get to do it,” Callaway told the PRORODEO Sports News in February of 2024. “I feel lucky to pay an entry fee and run a steer. We have always had horses and cows my entire life. Competing is always something I loved to do. It was fun. I am doing it again because of the help of family and friends. Now, I know it is a privilege.”
The funeral service is planned for March 15 at the Horse Palace in Billings, Mont.
–PRCA
