HOUSTON – As Rodeo gets underway in Houston, an inspiring new documentary is making its Texas debut. Outriding the Devil follows Texas Hall of Fame barrel racer Angela Ganter in a decade-long battle with cancer that ended — against the odds — with an extraordinary comeback to the sport she loves.
Ganter’s story is a study in grit. Diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and told she might not survive, the former Texas A&M rodeo standout endured multiple surgeries, chemo and radiation from 2010 to 2017. She rebuilt her balance and nervous system through intensive physical therapy, returned to competition and went on to win PRCA rounds, qualify for the Canadian Finals Rodeo and compete at the Calgary Stampede. The film captures that arc — “from death’s door to the winner’s circle” — and frames it as one of the most remarkable comebacks in rodeo, and sports, history.
Outriding the Devil premiered worldwide at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas and earned strong reviews from outlets including Sports Illustrated, ProRodeo.com and the Houston Chronicle, which called the film “masterful.” The documentary mixes rodeo superstars and familiar faces from the Yellowstone universe to tell its story: 10-time world champion Stetson Wright, legendary announcer Bob Tallman, actors Mo Brings Plenty and Forrie J. Smith, and country artists Ned LeDoux and Chancey Williams. Grammy nominee Radney Foster contributed to the soundtrack.
The film’s director, Raen LeVell, is no stranger to festival acclaim — his work has been showcased from Cannes to Melbourne — and his narrative feature Buffalo Daze is currently streaming and finding an audience.
Houston audiences can see the Texas premiere at an old-school Western matinee: 11 a.m. on 3/14 at the River Oaks Theatre, with an introduction by the director and a post-screening Q&A. It’s a local event that pairs Rodeo energy with a deeply human story of resilience.
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