Raen LeVell says he doesn’t know what drew him to the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame a few years ago.

The Wyoming-based filmmaker was in Texas on business and didn’t really have time. He was busy with post-production of his 2025 rodeo-set western Buffalo Days and was set to meet with Emmy- and Tony-award-winning actor Eric Nelson of the series 1883 to discuss another project he had in development. Still, he is a rodeo buff and felt he shouldn’t pass the Hall of Fame in Fort Worth without paying a quick visit.

“Something made me stop and go inside,” he says, in a phone interview with Postmedia. “You know how those moments are in life? You can’t really explain it, but something tells you that you should be doing something. It was one of those.”

LeVell was met by a friendly greeter, who happened to be the only person there at the time. He had planned to stay for five minutes, but thought it would be rude to exit so soon after her enthusiastic introduction. So he decided to look at all the inductees who were featured. The last one was Angela Ganter.

When he read her remarkable story about survival and resilience, his storytelling instincts kicked in.

“When I got outside of the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame, I made a couple phone calls,” LeVell says. “I assumed somebody would have the rights to Angela’s story; it was just such an amazing story. It turns out nobody had …, so I probably met her within 48 hours, and we discussed it,” he says. “I said, ‘I’m not sure how it’s going to go. I’m not sure exactly what the end film will be, but I can promise you it is going to tell your story faithfully.’ ”

The resulting docudrama, Outriding the Devil, will have its Canadian premiere in Calgary on Oct. 19 at the Plaza Cinema with both Ganter and LeVell in attendance. Calgary is a natural fit for any rodeo docudrama, but particularly worthy since the Calgary Stampede played an integral part in Ganter’s comeback story.

The film is ambitious in scope and mixes straight documentary with dramatizations. It takes viewers back to the Texas frontier in 1850 up to the 2024 Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton. It explores family and western tradition, the evolution of the cowboy and cowgirl, and First Nations contributions to rodeo. It features segments on Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, Nez Perce bronc rider Jackson Sundan, Cherokee matinee idol and roper Will Rogers and Niitsitapi/Kainai rodeo legend Tom Three Persons, who won the saddle bronc competition at the first Calgary Stampede in 1912.

There are appearances by Calgary Stampede champions Rusty and Ryder Wright, Shad Mayfield, Leslie Smalygo, Haven Meged, and Zeke Thurston, plus country singer Chancey Williams and actors Mo Brings Plenty and Forrie J. Smith of Yellowstone and 1883’s Eric Nelsen.

But the heart of the film is the story of Angela Ganter, whose family roots go back to her pioneering great-grandparents, who were among the first ranchers in West Texas when it was controlled by the Comanche. She had been around horses since she was a child and was successful enough in barrel racing to win a spot on the Texas A&M University rodeo team.

In 2004, her husband died, and in 2010 she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, which led to seven years of treatment that prevented her from competing. The title of the documentary is a reference to the so-called “red devil chemo” that she underwent, which is known for its harsh side effects.

“There was a school of thought that she wouldn’t live, she wouldn’t make it,” LeVell says. “She loses her balance; she can’t tell left from right. From that stage to imagine that she is ever going to ride a horse again is kind of fanciful. To think she would come back to rodeo at any level was almost Disneyland stuff, let alone come back at the highest level.”

Spurred by the tough love of her daughter Jackie, also a champion barrel racer, Angela began physical therapy to rebuild her nervous system and learn balance again. By 2018, she had returned to rodeo, winning six Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events and qualifying for the Canadian Finals Rodeo. In 2021, Angela and Jackie became the first mother and daughter to both qualify for the Stampede.

That is where her story became even more surreal. Her beloved horse, Bugs, suffered a seizure and died in Calgary. The horse fell and fractured Angela’s ankle. Nevertheless, she soldiered on through her injury with another horse, won a round and went home with a significant payday.

“I didn’t want it to be the typical documentary that people might expect about a cancer survivor,” LeVell says. “I didn’t want to spend a ton of time in hospitals and hospital wards and talking to doctors. I didn’t want to show pictures of Angela when she was sick, not that she has any. I really wanted to bring home the spirit that she has. I think that indefatigable, indomitable spirit is representative of the best of us.”

He also wanted to put a spotlight on the community behind the rodeo, something he hopes offers inspiration in politically divided times in both his country and in Alberta.

“When people ask me about the film, and you try to give your 20-second elevator pitch, my 20-second elevator pitch doesn’t exist,” he says. “There are just too many things in this movie. If it wasn’t a real, true-to-life story, nobody would believe it. They would think you made it up.”

Outriding the Devil will have its Canadian premiere on Oct. 19 at the Plaza Theatre at 7 p.m. Director Raen LaVell and Angela Ganter will attend. The film will also stream for a limited time after Oct. 27 on  https://pcstudios.tv/ and https://outridingthedevil.com.