One of the reasons why Paramount Network’s Yellowstone became immensely popular is its authentic portrayal of ranch life. The series, set on the eponymous ranch in Montana, showcases its main characters doing cowboy work.
Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton in the neo-Western drama, is seen taming wild horses and riding them in the show multiple times. Luke was able to ride horses in Yellowstone after undergoing intense training.
The co-creator of the series, Taylor Sheridan, set up a cowboy camp for the cast before the filming of each season so they could learn the ins and outs of the ranch life and portray their characters realistically. Luke also attended this camp to learn horse riding and play Kayce Dutton with perfection.
Luke Grimes rode horses in Yellowstone after undergoing training
Luke Grimes had little to no experience in horse riding before he joined the cast of Yellowstone. In fact, he was scared of horses while filming for the first two seasons of the show. In an interview on Live With Kelly and Ryan!, the actor revealed he lied on his resume about his horse riding skills to get the role of Kayce Dutton.
Luke said:
“I was scared for, like, the first two years. You know, it’s [the horse] got a mind of its own. There’s some close calls. You get a little scared.”
In another interview, Luke highlighted that the whole cowboy life was very new to him, as he had never ridden a horse before filming Yellowstone. However, the actor got used to it over time as he put great effort into learning the skill.
He attended the cowboy camp organized by Taylor Sheridan to master the skill of horse riding and get into the skin of his character. In an interview with Monsters and Critics, Luke revealed that the camp began around two months before the filming of the show in 2017, where he was asked to be on horseback every day.
Talking about what happened at the camp and how it helped him prepare for his role, the actor said:
“Taking these horses up mountains, jumping creeks, and doing a lot of stuff that a lot of us had never done before just to try to get us into the feel of the place and of the world. Also, to try to make us fall in love with this way of life. It really worked.”
When Luke finally started training, he learned horse riding pretty quickly and became a natural at it:
“Parts of it came semi-naturally. I think the horseback riding, thankfully, for me, clicked quickly. It’s one of those things, though, you could never stop getting better at it.”
Taylor Sheridan’s cowboy camp for the Yellowstone cast
Taylor Sheridan kept sending the cast to the cowboy camp every year till the end of the show so they could keep honing their skills and brewing authenticity into their performances. The camp taught the cast roping, managing cattle, and riding horses.
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Luke Grimes explained how he had a different experience at the camp every year, but it was fun every time as the trainers remained patient and helpful to the cast:
“It’s been different every year, right? I mean, year one was a mule-packing trip. And I think they were like, ‘Let’s never do that again.’ Because they almost didn’t get us back.”
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“You know, it’s just always different. You never know what to expect. Sort of like this job, you never know what to expect. But it’s always a good time.”
Yellowstone Seasons 1 to 4 and Season 5 Part 1 are currently streaming on Peacock.
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