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Idris Elba, left, as Harp and Caleb McLaughlin as Cole in “Concrete Cowboy.” (Aaron Ricketts/Netflix)
The horse riding community we see in “Concrete Cowboy” is set in Philadelphia, but some scenes will ring familiar with Chicagoans who have watched the antics of the Dreadhead Cowboy, whose most famous stunt was taking his horse for a jaunt on the Dan Ryan Expressway, which created a viral sensation and resulted in numerous criminal charges.
Not that Dreadhead Cowboy is the only Black rider out there, not by a long shot. Black riding clubs have existed for decades in cities such as Chicago, Baltimore, Houston and Oakland. Director Ricky Staub brings that world to life in “Concrete Cowboy,” which is a fictionalized and deeply sentimental story, but is based on the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club in North Philadelphia. The film features a number of real-life riders in supporting roles, adding authenticity – surreal as it sometimes seems – to the story.
Who plays Concrete Cowboy’s Paris? The real-life cowboy
Netflix’s Concrete Cowboy tells the unheard story of African-American cowboys and their urban horse-riding culture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With raving reviews, the audience want to know the first-time actor behind Paris, a cowboy bound to his wheelchair.
When we think of cowboys, we think of white, all-American men in the Old West. Director Ricky Staub has used this opportunity to expose the life of African-American cowboys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Starring none other than Idris Elba, the storyline is based on Greg Neri’s novel
Ghetto Cowboy. It revolves around the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, a non-profit organisation devoted to preserving urban horsemanship in Philadelphia.