Saddles, Ropes and Real Horses: Inside the Authentic ‘Ransom Canyon’ Cowboy Cast Training (EXCLUSIVE)
Actor Andrew Liner dishes to 'Woman's World' about what went into their training!
When it comes to television westerns like Ransom Canyon, you probably found yourself wondering whether or not the actors and actresses on your screen were actually riding their horses or if it was a stunt double creating the illusion, but for this exciting Netflix drama, the scenes that featured these majestic beasts were as real as it gets. For cast members like Jack Schumacher, who played Yancy Grey, Lizzy Greene, who played Lauren Brigman, Marianly Tejada, who played Ellie Estevez, Garrett Wareing, who played Lucas Russell, Eion Macken, who played Davis Collins and Andrew Liner, who played his son Reid Collins, putting in the work at something along the lines of “cowboy boot camp” allowed the story on the screen to look authentic. Here, find out the answer to the question everyone wants to know: Did the Ransom Canyon cast really ride their horses?
Inside the ‘Ransom Canyon’ cowboy boot camp
These days, with westerns like Yellowstone and 1923 all the rage, cowboy camps are becoming commonplace for actors and actresses, and the Ransom Canyon cast certainly got an authentic taste of ranch life. Chronicled in a video shared by Netflix’s Tudum, several of the show’s main cast gathered in New Mexico for a full-fledged course on all things ranching, riding, roping and beyond—and the show’s very own Andrew Liner, who played Reid Collins, gave Woman’s World an exclusive glimpse at what that looked like for him—and getting comfortable with the mighty beast that is a horse took a good bit of work for the young actor!
“The horseback riding and all the cowboy stuff, I definitely had to train for. I’m a city kid, so we had a four-month intensive cowboy camp,” he revealed. “As a kid growing up, my mom’s favorite movie is Tombstone (1993) and my dad’s favorite movie is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), and so in turn, those are my two favorites as well. I had always dreamed about being a cowboy and living that life, and it was a dream to get to work that skill and come into myself in that way.”
Though he eventually got comfortable, learning the ropes (no pun intended), took some time. “Roping was pretty hard for me in the beginning. I didn’t take to it too quickly. Garrett [Wareing, who plays Lucas] took to it first day, but for me, I didn’t. I think it’s because I’ve been throwing around footballs and baseballs and tennis and doing all that my whole life, so the arm movement was very different.” Luckily, Liner eventually got the hang of it, and soon enough, he and his costars looked like naturals on camera.
Did any of the ‘Ransom Canyon’ cast ride horses before?
Though some of the cast were entirely new to horse riding, others had some prior experience. For example, Lizzy Greene revealed in the Tudum video that growing up in Dallas, she had ridden before but lacked any real training. As for Garrett Wareing, he, too, grew up riding horses. “My grandfather was actually a rodeo clown, so it kind of runs in my blood, I think,” he shared.
Philip Winchester, who portrayed Sheriff Dan Brigman in the show, had some experience with horses, having grown up in Montana, but the actor was sure to note that “It’s always different. All the horses are different.” Whether they were hopping on a horse for the very first time or grew up riding, it’s safe to say that the Ransom Canyon cast looked like naturals out there!
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