Sumith Prasad
Created by Taylor Sheridan, Paramount+’s Western series ‘1923’ follows the life of Jacob Dutton, the patriarch of the Dutton family during the 1920s. Jacob, along with other Duttons and his wife Cara Dutton, confronts the challenges that threaten the family’s survival due to Prohibition and the Great Depression, which troubles Montana a decade earlier. Harrison Ford wears cowboy hats and gets back on horses to play Jacob in the prequel to ‘Yellowstone.’ Intrigued by Ford’s captivating performance as the Dutton patriarch, we have found out whether he had learned horse riding for the series. Here’s what we can share about the same!
Does Harrison Ford Know Horse Riding?
Harrison Ford joined the cast of ‘1923’ with enough experience in horse riding. The actor was part of the cast of several Westerns, including ‘The Frisco Kid,’ ‘Journey to Shiloh,’ ‘A Time for Killing,’ etc., and the experiences of working for these productions might have helped him familiarize himself with the way of life of a cowboy. In the ‘Indiana Jones’ films, Ford’s titular character rides horses as well. The actor has always been vocal about his love for horse riding. During the production of ‘Cowboys & Aliens,’ in which Ford plays a cowboy named Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde, the actor got to ride horses as much as he liked.
“I haven’t made a Western for I guess 30 years and it was a pleasure, I enjoy being outside on a horse most of the day,” Ford told Independent.ie in 2011 while filming for ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’ When it came to the production of ‘1923,’ Ford wasn’t any different. He astounded his co-stars and crew members of the show with his horse-riding skills and expertise. Ben Richardson, one of the directors of the Western drama, was stunned to see Ford riding horses up steep mountains at the age of 20. Ford did the horse riding stunts on his own, without a double standing in.
“I’ve never had a complaint from him. I can’t express how much of a team player he is — to the point that it’s shocking. He’s Harrison Ford. He could be doing anything. I’m sure there are people who would prefer to have a double standing in. He did not,” Richardson told The New York Times. In the first episode of the show, Ford’s Jacob Dutton and his men lead his cattle to mountains to feed them. Ford rode horses to do such scenes irrespective of the knife-sharp winds that were present in the high altitudes of the mountains.
Brian Geraghty, who plays the ranch foreman Zane, was also startled to see Ford’s expertise in horse riding. In a recent interview, Geraghty revealed how Ford rode horses “too fast,” which made it hard for the 47-year-old actor to keep up with the 80-year-old legendary actor. When Geraghty asked Ford to “walk the horse,” the latter took off with his horse, kicking it saying “yah!” Ford spends most of his current time in a recently bought 800-acre former ranch outside of Jackson, Wyoming. Considering Ford’s love for horse riding, one cannot rule out the possibility of the actor riding horses through the property when he is not in front of the camera.
Read More: Who is Elizabeth Strafford? Is She Pregnant in 1923? Theories
