The Cast

Star
Power

Actors

Mo Brings PlentyYellowstone

Forrie J. SmithYellowstone

Eric Nelsen1883

Eddie SpearsInto the West

Golden Garnick1923

Country Music

Ned LeDoux2X RM CMA Winner

Chancey WilliamsCFD HOF

Original Music

Radney Foster2X Grammy Nominee

Musical Score

Jose Manuel Cancela5X Emmy Winner

Oguz Can Ozcanli

William Hoshal

Rodeo Stars

Angela GanterTexas Rodeo HOF

Jackie GanterWPRA ROY / 2X NFR

Stetson Wright10X PRCA Champion

Shad "Money" Mayfield2X PRCA Champion

Dusty Tuckness10X PRCA Bullfighter

Zeke Thurston4X PRCA Champion

Rusty Wright5X NFR Qualifier

Ky HamiltonPRCA Champion

Derrick Begay12X NFR Qualifier

Haven MegedPRCA Champion

Fallon TaylorWPRA Champion

Leslie Smalygo2X NFR Qualifier

Bob TallmanProRodeo HOF

NFR Red Carpet Premiere

Mescal Movie Studios

The Story

More Rodeo

The movie chronicles the birth and history of rodeo from the late 1800s and showcases never-before-seen footage of early rodeo legends — Jackson Sundown, George Fletcher, Bertha Blancett — and the only existing footage of Western legends Charles Goodnight and Chief of the Comanche Nation, Quanah Parker, as well as footage filmed by Thomas Edison. (Yes, that Thomas Edison!)

The dramatizations are filmed at the historic Mescal Movie Set — where iconic Westerns such as Tombstone, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and The Quick and the Dead were shot. Angela's great-grandparents were among the first to ranch in Comancheria, now West Texas, in 1850, before her grandfather became one of the first to ranch in Billy the Kid Country in New Mexico.

Among the dramatization ensemble: Emmy and Tony winner Eric Nelsen (1883), Eddie Spears (Spielberg's Into the West), Golden Garnick (1923), country artists Ned LeDoux and Chancey Williams, and 2024 NFR All Around World Champion Shad Mayfield in his screen debut. Lily Wright, sister of multi-world champions Stetson, Ryder, Rusty and Statler Wright, makes her first foray into acting as young Angela Ganter.

Lily Jo Wright

Ned LeDoux

Mescal Studios

Behind the Scenes

Our Purpose

Film Mission Pillars

…is to keep the Western spirit alive, honored, and unifying for generations to come by illuminating the triumphs, struggles, and stories born from the rodeo arena. Through world champion athletes, iconic storytellers, archival treasures, and cultural voices, Outriding the Devil seeks to ignite the enduring spirit of the West in every heart it reaches.

Horse & Human Bond — Riding the Spirit of the West

Horses have carried our dreams across mountains, rivers, plains and open skies. Angela's bond to her beloved horse Bugs is one of many stories we share with our Equine partners. We honor the timeless relationship between horse and human: the ones who embody freedom, grace, the soul of wide open spaces, and the courage to keep riding.

We're Not Just Entertaining — We're Elevating

We're not here to simply dazzle with music, cinematography, or cowboy charm — though we do that too. This film is designed to inspire and unite communities with the timeless Western values of courage to ride, grit to rise, and the reasons we can never give up.

The Spirit of the West is Alive in All of Us

From Angela's pioneer ancestry to today's Rodeo champions, an indomitable spirit and the dream of something bigger than ourselves still lives in us today. The stories that make up the American West don't just live in a history book — they're dreams and living legacies that come alive in "Outriding the Devil."

"E Pluribus Unum" — Out of Many, One

Rodeo's story is America's story at its best. It embodies unity — shared challenges and shared triumphs. The film honors this American legacy; the story of many hands coming together to survive, celebrate, and belong.

Rodeo Isn't Just About the Ride — It's About Who You Become

Rodeo is more than a sport; it's a ritual of resilience. Angela's comeback embodies hope, courage, and the spirit of the West that lives on in all of us when we choose to get back up.

We All Have a Devil to Outride — But We Don't Have to Ride Alone

Whether it's grief, doubt, illness, addiction, or the quiet belief that you're not enough — Angela's story reminds us that we all have inner and outer devils to face. But love is the unshakable reason we rise again and again with a voice that whispers, "Get back in the saddle. One more time."