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Yellowstone, effortlessly, is one of the best projects credited to Taylor Sheridan’s name to date, ranking among the likes ofSicario,Hell or High Water,Wind River, and this very series’ multiple prequels including1923 and 1883.
![Yellowstone [Credit: Paramount Network]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/02151618/Yellowstone-cast-Credit-Paramount-Network-2-1024x683.jpeg)
But while the mastermind developed this storyline himself, not many fans know what actually induced him to spend so many big bucks on the horses for this saga.
Yellowstone.| Credit: Paramount Network.As it turns out, there is a very major reason behind this decision from the filmmaker that many are unaware of: A story based on true, real-life harrowing events that Sheridan himself had to go through.
![Taylor Sheridan [Credit: Paramount Network]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/02114311/Taylor-Sheridan-Credit-Paramount-Network-1-1024x576.jpeg)
Moreover, this dark tale not only influenced his decision to buy so many horses for his saga but can also be felt in the characters’ behaviors throughout the masterpiece series.
Taylor Sheridan Has a Dark Story Behind His Horses forYellowstone
During an interview withEsquire, the1923helmer shared his story about why he spent so many big bucks on just buying horses for hisYellowstonesaga. And while this story started on a merry note for the one it was based on, it didn’t hesitate to end on a dark note for everyone.
Taylor Sheridan. | Credit: Paramount Network.According to Sheridan, this tale started with his boyhood best friend Phil, who was there for him when he was“starving and at his wit’s end.”This Phil ended up falling for the first girl he slept with, which resulted in the pair soon welcoming a baby boy to their home. His name? Taylor.
“We throw logic right out of the window a little bit”: Kevin Costner Talking About His Initial Feelings For Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone Makes Us Even More Sad
Soon after his birth, filmmakerTaylor Sheridanscored the privilege of being the godfather of this baby boy. Having earned that position, he had to fulfill a very important task that his friend requested of him. As Sheridan shared, Phil told him:“I want that kid riding before he’s crawling.”
So it was.“We saddled the horses up. We took a ride. I cradled his boy,”shared Sheridan. But while this happy recollection still stays in the mastermind’s memory, the events that followed two decades after this are so harrowing that he probably won’t be able to forget it until the end of his time.
As the1883writer revealed, around two decades later, his godson“called me once, suicidal, and I talked him off the ledge.”But then a few weeks later, he once again got a call; though this time, it was from Phil: The younger Taylor hadgiven up on his life and left this world.
Evidently devastated and distraught from how everything had turned out for his godson, Sheridan rushed to Texas to be by his friend’s side in such a heartbreaking situation. But when he got there, his friend had only one request of him. As the filmmaker shared:
![Yellowstone [Credit: Paramount Network]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/04113509/Yellowstone-Horseback-Riders-Credit-Paramount-Network-1-1024x512.jpg)
I’m going to explain to you the cowboy mentality. [Phil said to me:] “I’m going to think about it for the rest of my life. But I need two hours to not think about it. And the only way I don’t think about it is on a horse.”
A still from the series. | Credit: Paramount Network.That was that, and ever since, every timeSheridan gets a callfrom hisfriendasking him,‘Hey, man, you wanna come out and ride?’his response is,‘I’ll be there tomorrow.’Because he knows that his friend is“thinking about his kid. I’m the only person that he can forget with.”
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Needless to say, this is also seemingly why the mastermind spent so much money just on the horses of his smash-hitYellowstonetelevision series.
Yellowstoneis Synonymous With This Story in a Lot of Ways
As fans have already seen (and felt) in theKevin Costner-led series, most of the characters often depict tired, suicidal behaviors. In fact, a lot of them even seem like they are on the verge of self-destruction, just like Sheridan’s godson did.
But in the series, those characters also led some very good and happy times — except that a majority of the time, those good moments only came when they were riding their horses.
“Once he has you under his control, it’s game over”: Kevin Costner Has Reportedly Warned One Actress To Not Let Taylor Sheridan “Court” Her after Yellowstone Exit
Connecting the dots with the dark tale, it becomes evident where these character traits stem from.
A still fromYellowstone.| Credit: Paramount Network.All of this being said, it is inevitably only understandable now that the real reason why Sheridan included so many horses on hisYellowstoneranch is actuallyseemingly because of his best friendPhil and long-lost godson, whose absence still haunts them to the verge of riding their horses.
Jeremy Renner Played a Big Gamble on his Career Because of His Blind Faith in Taylor Sheridan and Thankfully It Didn’t Go Down the Kevin Costner Route
If anything, it won’t be an understatement to say that the fact that the Dutton family members prefer to ride their horses every time they are sad, to escape that feeling just like Phil, changes the story itself into a much darker tale than many could have expected.
You can streamYellowstoneon Paramount+.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
