In front of a sold-out crowd, Yellowstone actor Forrie J. Smith and other actors from the hit show joined Fort Worth-area celebrities in riding to the herd for a good cause in the Careity Celebrity Cutting.
The experienced actor and stuntman, who portrays ranch hand Lloyd on the hit television series following the saga of the fictional Dutton family in Montana, brought a background in rodeo with him to the Careity festivities in famed Will Rogers Coliseum. He said the atmosphere at the event held Friday, Dec. 3, reminded him of his bull-riding days.
“I’ve been behind the bucking chutes feeling the pressure before, so it’s going to be alright. I know how to handle it,” Smith said prior to his run at the event, which raises money for services Careity provides to cancer patients. “I was just telling someone earlier that when you were rodeoing, and you drew the good [stock] that everybody wins on, that’s when the most pressure is on you. With my background and my horsemanship, I’m supposed to do good today.”
Smith gave a valiant effort on the Beechfork Ranch mare Chyna, a daughter of Peptoboonsmal out of the mare Kittens, who is a daughter of all-time leading cutting sire High Brow Cat. Although disappointed to lose a cow in the last seconds of his run, Smith returned to the edge of the arena to cheer on fellow Yellowstone cast including Mo Brings Plenty, Jefferson White and Jennifer Landon – all three of whom were making a return trip to Will Rogers, having competed in past Careity events.
Chyna’s owner Madison Crum Smith and husband Barney Mac Smith, who both ride cutting horses, prepared the mare for Smith, recounting the preparation that went into getting the rodeo cowboy ready for the charitable cutting held held annually during the NCHA Futurity.
“We put probably 70 cows in the arena and he just practiced cutting cows on his own on a real old, gentle turn back horse,” said Crum-Smith, who has competed at Will Rogers herself on horses owned by her family’s Beechfork Ranch. “Then we put him on [Chyna] just so he could feel her before [the competition]. He rides really well.”
High-powered Western performance horses are a regular on Yellowstone, which was co-created by reining enthusiast and Texas native Taylor Sheridan. Several top Western performance horses and trainers have made appearances on the show, which is airing its fourth season now.
Sheridan, who also portrays a horse trainer on Yellowstone, also created The Run For A Million and the reining-themed reality show The Last Cowboy.
The Yellowstone fan base showed their enthusiasm throughout the night, cheering loudly for every competitor. Celebrities such as Jay Novacek, Katy Keenie, Tom Watson, Erin Wilde, Sonny Burgess, Monica Russo, Jolie Burgess, Dr. Amy Gunter, Matt Blevins, Josh Weathers, Shelly ‘Burmeister’ Mowery, Jaida Dreyer and Leah Tuner took their turn in the herd for the sake of bringing awareness to Careity’s efforts.
