What Do Lyle Lovett, Ted Levine, a Composer, and 9 Horsemen Have In Common?
(left to right) Ben Fonnesbeck, Randy Paul, Lori Ward, MJ Isakson, Lyle Lovett, Lori Adamski-Peek, Fernando Venegas, Patrick Thompson
They were all part of our epic journey from Texas to California last month!
Highlights:
Lyle Lovett will be in the documentary!
Ted Levine will be narrating the documentary!
We have a brilliant composer for the Down the Fence original score, Grant Fonda!
We got to visit with Randy Paul, Laurie Ward, Doug and Carol Williamson, Benny Guitron, Lyn Anderson, Erin and Anthony Taormino, and Brooke Wharton!
Sorry for all the exclamation marks! I'm still shouting the news to everyone and jumping up and down!
Production Trip Summary
Texas: A few weeks ago the trip began during the NRCHA’s World’s Greatest Horseman where I interviewed the Taormino’s and Brooke Wharton of Waggoner Ranch. The local crew I worked with, Mikon Haaksman and Chad Chance were fantastic. A big thanks to all involved for being so flexible with scheduling and for helping with the film!
California: Then I met up with the crew, Lori, Fernando, Ben, and Patrick. It was so great to see them all!. (We haven't all be in the same place since Reno in early October).
Our first shoot was an afternoon at Day Creek Ranch with Randy Paul and Lyle Lovett. Lyle and his team really went above and beyond to make the interview possible. He’s on tour right now, so squeezing in an interview can’t be easy. We’re so grateful for the effort and for the fantastic interview. And we’re so excited that he’ll be part of the documentary!
Later that night we all went to see his show and were completely blown away. He and his not big but large band are SO GOOD! He gave Randy Paul a shout out from stage and us too! It was pretty surreal hearing Lyle Lovett talk about a cow horse documentary on stage. I couldn’t believe it. I looked over and Lori was teary eyed and the guys were grinning ear to ear. Lyle is the nicest person. If Lyle Lovett and His Large Band come through town, go see the show. You won't be sorry!
We spent the next day with Randy Paul, who is not only a horseman in the truest sense of the word, but also an incredibly talented musician, singer, songwriter, artist, and bit maker. It's inspiring spending time with him. Sitting in his living room listening to him play guitar and sing is something I'll never forget. A big huge thank you to Randy, Laurie, and Day Creek Ranch.
Grant Fonda: We knew that we'd need an amazing score for Down the Fence, so we found an amazing composer. It took several months of searching, and then I found Grant. After a series of conversations, it was time to meet the crew. He even came highly recommended by Bruce Broughton. Bruce Broughton is the composer of Tombstone and Silverado. Waaaaooooooowwwww! (The awesomeness of that phone call still hasn't worn off.) Grant, who lives in LA, drove out and spent the day with us, and we all agree that he's definitely the composer for Down the Fence. We are so happy to announced that he's joined the team!
Benny Guitron: As if our trip couldn't get any better, we got to visit with Mr. Benny Guitron. What can I say? It was amazing talking with him about hackamores and history. You just know you could talk to him for months about those topics and only be just barely scratching the surface of what he has to tell. One afternoon wasn't enough.
Lyn Anderson: When we arrived at Lyn's, we were greeted by the most adorable Vizsla dog on the planet! All springy legs and waggy tail. A few minutes later, Lyn approached riding a beautiful futurity prospect. We got set up in the awesome round pen that she built while she finished her ride. Great location and interview.
Doug and Carol Williamson: Ok, so you know we've spent some time out at Doug and Carol's? Well, this was our last visit there for the movie. We were all a little sad about that since we love hanging out with the Williamson's. (Did you know that they are a couple of pool sharks too? We got schooled. All of us. Totally schooled). Jaclynn even spent a day with us, sporting her fabulous Down the Fence CREW T.
So there we were, filming away at the Williamson's ranch, and who shows up? Ted Levine!
Ted contacted us several month's ago and offered to help. I am a huge fan of his and just about fell out of my chair when he volunteered to narrate the film. He's so talented and a horseman as well, so we couldn't be more thrilled. To have such a talented actor who truly understands the spirit of the film is such a gift. I can't believe it. No really, am I dead?
So there you have it! We met legends, we met artists, we got our butts kicked at pool by Doug and Carol, and the Down the Fence journey continues...