A docuseries currently being filmed at Wyoming's Sweetwater Downs will provide an insightful, close-up, unfiltered portal into a sub-culture of American sport and the human spirit.
Long-time track announcer at Sweetwater Downs in Rock Springs, A.P. Harreld, who is an executive producer of the series, says the story will feature the racetrack where a kaleidoscope of lives converge –and the outcomes are never certain.
“These are very real people whose lives coincide for two months at a horse track in the heart of the American West,” said Herreld. “Some young, some old. Some successful, some less-so. All from vastly different backgrounds chasing big dreams or unlikely comebacks, set against the sublime and imposing Wyoming backdrop. And so much of the outcome is determined by the horse they ride.”
“Racing at the Rock” will take viewers on an insider tour of minor league horse racing and the lives of the people involved. Viewers will get to know a handful of colorful characters whose lives revolve around the racing, from the jockeys to the owners to the people who make a living around a racetrack.
The landscape and physical setting of Rock Springs, Sweetwater County and southern Wyoming will play a large visual role in this series.
“Wyoming is the American West,” said Eugene Joyce, general manager of Sweetwater Downs. “Windswept prairies, jagged mountains, trout-filled rivers. Cowboys, big rigs, big hats and big skies. Rock Springs might fly under the radar from a tourism perspective but it's as American and as western as it gets,” Joyce continued. “I am looking forward to horse racing season at Sweetwater Downs come alive on screen – and reveal all that personality, grit, hope and pride in an honest, unvarnished and competitive capsule.”
Veteran documentary film makers Michael and David Hansen of Modoc Stories intend for this series to be a true documentary. An unscripted series, it will be thoughtful and respectful while also being unafraid to reveal the thick skin, harsh realities and touching human moments inherent in the rough-and-tumble life of horse racing. A premiere date for the docuseries will be forthcoming.
“Most of our lives are slow, long train rides, but for these jockeys and owners their lives can turn precipitously, for good or bad, on a sprint around a dirt track,” said Harreld. “We intend to establish that tension – the race tension and the overall tension of the short season – throughout the series. The track and the sport as accelerators of the live-fast-ride-hard approach to life.”
For those who want to experience the action in person, the 12th season of live horse racing at Sweetwater Downs extends through Sunday, October 2. Gates open at noon on Saturdays and Sundays with post times set for 1 p.m. Races will also be held on Friday, September 9, and Friday, September 16. Post times for both Fridays are at 4 p.m.
Sweetwater Downs is located at 3320 Yellowstone Road in Rock Springs. Tickets cost $5 per person. For more information on live racing at Sweetwater Downs, visit: wyominghorseracingdata.com.
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