Ross Cooper Shows Rodeo Roots In New Video For “I Rode The Wild Horses”

Photo by Jody Domingue

A lot of country and Americana artists like to write tunes about riding and wrangling, but only a handful of them have actually done it. Ross Cooper, who just released the aptly titled album I Rode The Wild Horses, is one of those artists, as he had a career as a professional bareback rider before trying his hand at music.

Videos by American Songwriter

In a new video for the album’s title track, Cooper offers a glimpse of the rodeo life, from loading up the trailer the night before to hanging on for dear life atop a bucking horse. Cooper shot the video at the Texas Cowboy Reunion Arena, the Swenson Ranch, the Mallet Event Center, and Lubbock, Texas bar the Blue Light.

“I’m a second generation cowboy,” Cooper says. “Both of my folks used to rodeo, and my brother and I grew up riding bucking horses (saddle-bronc and bareback). That’s how we were raised. I was brought up in and around rodeo arenas. So when I sat down to write this song, it didn’t take a whole lot of time. I know the characters and could see the story.”

Eric Masse produced I Rode The Wild Horses, and the album features contributions from Erin Rae, Steelism’s Jeremy Fetzer, Eli Beard, Tommy Perkinson, Skylar Wilson, and Eddy Dunlap.

Watch the video for “I Rode The Wild Horses” below.

World Turned Upside Down: A Q&A with Grant-Lee Phillips