Rangers & Outlaw rides back to Six Flags

PRESS RELEASE

For more information,
contact:

Jerry Circelli,
Public Relations & Marketing Director

(817) 834-2742, Ext. 438

E-mail: jcircelli@apha.com

Rangers & Outlaws rides back to Six Flags

on colorful American Paint Horses

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Late last summer, Rangers & Outlaws Wild West Show actors and their American Paint Horses rode out of Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas, after what was to have been the final season of the long-running and exciting series of live performances. More than one fan of the show, which attracted repeat audiences year after year, shed a tear for good guys and bad men alike as the Western characters waved their final good-byes. Huge crowds gathered to pet the American Paint Horses one last time.

But hold it right there, partner! The rangers and outlaws are back by popular demand for another season in 2006, and so are their nine beautiful American Paint Horses. With more than 200,000 visitors annually, the Rangers & Outlaws Wild West Show has attracted a huge following during its six seasons, the last five of which have featured Paint Horses exclusively.

“We received a lot of positive guest feedback on the show,” said Marian Buehler, Six Flags Over Texas director of human resources and administration, horse breeder, trainer and Paint Horse owner.

Couple that with the fact that Rangers & Outlaws earned a prestigious “Big E” award from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, and it’s no wonder the show is back.

The 20-minute adventure, which runs several times each day for 65 straight days—June 13 through Aug. 6—brings to life a true story of how the Texas Rangers fought outlaws and brought justice to the silver-mining town of Shafter, Texas, in 1892. To kick off each show, Paint Horses carry cowboys and cowgirls bearing the colors for Spain, France, Mexico, Texas, the Confederacy and the United States of America—the six flags that have flown over Texas—in a dramatic entry.

The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) contracts horses for the show through Sammy Catalena of the Sammy Catalena Rodeo Company in Bryan, Texas.

“The challenge for us has always been to find horses with pleasant dispositions that will be calm when children go up to pet them after the show,” said Jerry Circelli, APHA director of public relations and marketing. “But during the performances, those horses must also deal with loud noises and calamities going around them, including blazing gunfights, cracking whips, numerous explosions and other special effects.”

According to Circelli, Sammy Catalena’s horses know the drill. The Paints are veterans of dramatic rodeo grand entries and special entertainment programs.

“Our horses have already gone through everything that they need them to as far as pyrotechnics, flags waving, shooting off them or just about anything else,” said Catalena.

APHA Executive Director Lex Smurthwaite said that what makes the show special is the interaction between the horses and the show’s audience.

“So many people – children and adults alike – have the opportunity to reach out and touch the Paint Horses at the end of this show,” he said. “It’s exciting to watch. These horses are great representatives for our breed, and the actors and people from Six Flags who put on this show are great ambassadors for APHA.”

The horses’ roles will actually be expanded this season. In addition to their duties carrying the rangers and outlaws in the show, they will be part of a public display at Six Flags.

“We’re going to have a Paint on display all day on the Main Street, which is prime real estate for us,” said Robert Keith of Live Action Productions.

Keith, a former Hollywood stuntman, who serves as the show’s director and stunt coordinator, organizes and produces popular stunt shows around the world.

“A lot of the organizations are really great to work with,” said Keith, “but we’ve especially enjoyed our relationship with APHA. You know, we could have used any breed of horse, but it wouldn’t have been a Paint Horse. Paints are special,” said Keith.

“We’re really excited about the return of the show and the fact that APHA and Paints are back in it.”

More about APHA
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, APHA is one of the fastest-growing equine breed organizations in the world. Since it was founded 44 years ago, the association has registered 845,000 horses in 49 nations and territories.
Among its many activities, APHA works to preserve bloodlines and maintain the outstanding characteristics of the Paint Horse breed. To learn more about the Paint Horse breed or APHA, visit apha.com or call (817) 834-2742.

More about Six Flags

Six Flags, Inc. is the world’s largest regional theme park company. The company owns and operates a total of 29 parks in North America. Six Flags parks serve 34 of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. For more information, visit sixflags.com.