Ransom Canyon is aware of methods to get its rodeo on.
Netflix‘s new Western drama, primarily based on the e-book sequence by Jodi Thomas, not solely put actor Jack Schumacher (who performs Yancy Gray) via some critical cowboy coaching forward of its large rodeo episode, but it surely welcomed actual life rodeo star and bareback rider Tilden Hooper to set to make the installment really feel much more genuine.
Ransom Canyon‘s fourth episode exhibits Yancy providing two harmful males from his previous $20,000 to settle their rating. They settle for the deal, however there’s only one drawback: Yancy doesn’t have the cash. He has to win it on the rodeo!
The cowboy reveals he “used to dabble” in rodeo, and after an epic coaching montage, Episode 5 exhibits Yancy’s large day. After Yancy arrives on the rodeo he’s instructed he’s “after Hooper” and the announcer introduces Tilden Hooper as “the person to beat.” Earlier than Hooper exhibits his stuff, Yancy tells him he seems to be prepared, to which he easily replies, “Watch me, brother, I’m all the time prepared.”
Regardless of Hooper’s champion-level expertise — which completely make this Ransom Canyon episode — Yancy Gray defies the chances, surprises everybody, and emerges victorious because the storyline calls for. Earlier than Hooper heads out, he even commends Yancy on a “hell of a experience.” What a man!
For these questioning if Hooper was merely a personality in Ransom Canyon‘s world or a real-life rider making an iconic cameo, we’re right here to guarantee you it’s the latter. So who’s Tilden Hooper? And what’s his expertise with rodeo outdoors of Ransom Canyon? Learn on for all the things it’s essential to learn about Hooper, together with quotes from his scene accomplice Schumacher.
Who Is Tilden Hooper On Ransom Canyon? Meet The Actual Life Rodeo Star Who Was Additionally On Yellowstone
Tilden Hooper is a 37-year-old skilled rodeo rider born in Shreveport, Louisiana, who’s at present ranked twenty third on this planet for bareback driving. His Skilled Rodeo Cowboys Affiliation bio contains all the things curious Ransom Canyon followers possible wish to know!
In 2024, Hooper positioned twenty first in worldwide standings and reportedly earned $96,143 all year long. His listed skilled achievements and profession highlights — relationship again to 2007 — are plentiful. Most just lately, he gained 2025’s Coronary heart O’Texas Honest & Rodeo in Waco, Texas, and in 2018 he completed third on this planet standings. Again in 2020, Hooper additionally appeared in Season 3, Episode 10 of Taylor Sheridan’s hit Western drama Yellowstone as a bareback rider.
Interested by Hooper’s private life? Hooper is at present listed as 5’10 and 170 lbs and calls Carthage, Texas his hometown. His additionally bio notes that his father, Terry, was additionally a circuit bareback rider. Hooper began driving in bareback competitions when he was 15 years previous, then “studied at Panola Junior Faculty earlier than turning to rodeo full-time in 2008, when he competed in 113 PRCA rodeos.”
To arrange to face off with Hooper in Ransom Canyon‘s rodeo episode, Hooper’s scene accomplice Schumacher instructed Decider about his months of cowboy coaching. “For a number of hours within the morning, we might experience, we might work on roping… Horseback driving, I used to be very happy with myself. As a result of I had zero expertise and I believe that I’m one of many higher riders on the forged. However roping, for the lifetime of me, I couldn’t work out. I couldn’t even work out methods to maintain it proper. It simply didn’t compute,” Schumacher laughed. “After which I had a number of bull driving coaching as effectively, which is exhausting. Even doing it on a seesaw dummy, it crushes you want for the subsequent few days. It’s onerous to stroll due to the quantity of stress that it’s a must to do, to carry onto it together with your legs is loopy.”
Regardless of the issue of bull driving, Schumacher stated that bareback horse riders like Hooper face a good larger problem. “The bronc riders are loopy. I used to be speaking to a few of the bull riders they usually’re all like, ‘No, man, bronc riders are the actual psychos,’” Schumacher stated when reflecting on Hooper in motion. “While you’re driving a bull, you possibly can type of discover the wave. That’s what they instructed me. However whenever you’re bronc driving, you’re simply getting smashed. And whenever you see it stay, it’s insane.”
Outdoors of rodeo arenas, Hooper’s bio additionally reveals that he enjoys wakeboarding and watching Will Ferrell films. (His favourite is Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.) If you wish to keep up-to-date with Hooper’s private life and profession after Ransom Canyon, you possibly can observe him on Instagram at @mrho0per.
For these nonetheless curious concerning the skilled bareback rider, there’s heaps extra Hooper information to learn and watch on-line. When the visitor star leaves Ransom Canyon he additionally tells Yancy, “See ya down the highway,” so maybe the rodeo star may reappear within the sequence if it’s picked up for extra seasons down the road.
Ransom Canyon Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
