By the end of the “Yellowstone” Season 3 finale, many of the series’ major characters are in varied states of uncertainty. For the principal members of the Dutton family, this is due to attempts on each of their lives by evil finance guy Roarke Morris (Josh Holloway). Ranch hand Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White), meanwhile, suffers a debilitating injury after losing his hold on a rodeo horse. Earlier in the season, Dutton family patriarch John (Kevin Costner) tells Jimmy to stay away from the rodeo due to the risk of this very sort of thing happening, so Jimmy’s accident functionally severs the working relationship between he and John.
Prior to news confirming Jimmy’s continued presence on “Yellowstone,” some fans worried that Jimmy might be dead, and Jefferson White gone for good. While that didn’t end up being the case, Jimmy’s budding romance with Mia (Eden Brolin) is among his numerous relationships impacted by the accident.
In a video interview shared Paramount Network’s YouTube channel, stunt coordinator Jason Rodriguez revealed just how the “Yellowstone” crew made Jimmy’s rodeo mishap look realistic on camera without injuring anyone in the process.
The rodeo scene featured footage of both White and a stunt performer
In a video interview shared by Paramount Network, “Yellowstone” stunt coordinator Jason Rodriguez discussed how his job during the filming of Jimmy’s rodeo accident in the Season 3 finale was to make the sequence appear as lifelike as possible without, of course, actually harming any member of the series’ cast or crew.
“[We] try to put the actors in the situations as much as possible,” he explained. The rodeo scene, therefore, included some footage of Jefferson White, though he rode a mechanical horse on camera rather than the real thing. His stunt double Bobby Roberts, meanwhile, subbed in for some of the more dangerous components of the sequence. Strategic camera angles and edits between the footage of White and Roberts thus allowed the final cut to include shots in which it’s clear White is on screen, in addition a lifelike tumble courtesy of a stunt work professional.
“We’re real cowboys,” White said, speaking to his participation even in dangerous scenes like his character’s rodeo accident. “We really know how to do this stuff.” Of course, it’s thanks to the work of stunt performers like Roberts too that scenes like his rodeo incident are ultimately possible.