The professional rodeo community took a hard hit on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

The rodeo world was devastated to learn Thursday morning that Nancy Cervi, the mom to Chase and Binion Cervi had passed away.

Her passing comes about a year and a half after the death of Mike Cervi, the legendary stock contractor of Cervi Championship Rodeo.

The Cervi family is well-known throughout the rodeo world for producing some of the biggest and best rodeos across the United States.

Nancy Cervi Dedicated 40 Years to Professional Rodeo

Cervi was born on July 13, 1951, and became a PRCA member in 1976, where she maintained her membership until 2016 as a timer.

While these dates show her dedication as a timer, Nancy was connected to rodeo in so many ways.

During the 1980s, she was Miss Frontier Airlines and worked for the airlines as it took an active role in sponsoring the PRCA.

On the Cervi Championship Rodeo Facebook page, the family remembered the matriarch.

“Nancy was a force. Bold, strong, fiercely independent, and always the picture of grace and class.”

Her son Binion talked to the ProRodeo Sports News and gave his mom credit for being ahead of the game in the rodeo industry.

“She helped the industry before people even thought of those types of things,” he said.

Nancy loved rodeo and everything that came with it.

Remembered for Her Love of People

In both the PRCA article and the Cervi Championship Rodeo post, it was clear that the family revered her for several reasons.

Binion described his mom as someone who always had a positive attitude and even when things went wrong, she could find the positive.

For those that knew her, you just knew she was behind the scenes making things happen without the credit. She was a hard worker and a lover of people.

“She never met a stranger,” Binion said.

You could pick Nancy out of a crowd because she carried herself with grace and was always put together and had a bit of western flair no matter where you saw her.

She was beautiful inside and out and no matter what was going on, you knew she had things taken care of.

She loved her beautiful grandchildren with all her heart and spent countless hours with them making memories.

The unexpected loss of Nancy sent shockwaves through the rodeo industry. Many people took to social media to remember her and share their love.

“Nancy was a friend and a mom to all. A true matriarch who will be deeply missed. I'm honored to have called her a friend.” - Fred McClanahan Jr.

“Truly one of the best, classiest, most beautiful ladies I’ve ever known!” - Celie Stewart Locke

“She was a beautiful lady inside and out. She made time to visit with everyone and truly heard them and made them feel special. She took me in like a daughter when I stayed at the ranch and I will always remember the sparkle in her eyes when she smiled.” - Niki Cammaert Flundra

“She was always taking care of everyone else… So selfless.. Miss Nancy was a special person. We will miss her laugh and infectious smile.” - Josh Hambone Hilton

A celebration of life honoring Nancy Cervi will be held on Sunday, November 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. Mountain Time at the Greeley Country Club in Greeley, Colo.

Her legacy will be remembered for all of the contributions she made to professional rodeo, but more so for the countless connections she made with people all over the United States.

Our sincere condolences go out to her family and friends as they navigate this devastating loss.