Ride Till I Die: Review

14th April 2022

Ricky Ringer has been riding bulls since he was seventeen. Now as he’s approaching 40 it seems like the best years of his riding career are behind him and he has the injuries to prove it. Despite his mother’s disapproval, Ricky started riding at an early age and his passion drove him so much that he left him in order to follow his dreams.

However, it seems that although his mother is aware of her son’s passions, she still does not approve and it’s taking an emotional toll. Not to mention the prospect that Ricky Jr. is following in his dad’s footsteps and their close relationship may be influencing Ricky Jr. to do what his father could not by winning a championship.

Ride Till I Die is a documentary about a seasoned rider and the world of the rodeo that has been his entire life. Following Ricky and his family over three years, the filmmakers are by his side every step of the way as he talks about his life, his loved ones and the many dangers he has faced.

However, Ricky wouldn’t have it any other way and he says he wants to ride until he dies, although if he doesn’t make a decision soon on where his life goes, he may be right.

Ride Till I Die is clearly a documentary for the fans of the sport and maybe even fans of Ricky himself. So, although the documentary may have a niche audience, it portrays Ricky Sr. as a great sporting hero, up there with other sporting heroes in bigger sports like baseball and American football. It unflinching shows the dangers and the incredible feats the Ricky has to put his body through in order to ride. As Ricky says it’s like a dance and sometimes it seems almost balletic.

However, Ride Till I Die may not convince any people who don’t know anything about the sport and it won’t win anybody over who knows about the darker side. This is because this is a biopic documentary and whereas there are issues of animal cruelty, they are never raised in favour of slow-motion hero shots of Ricky as he rides.

Whatever side you fall on over rodeos and bull riding, it’s hard to deny how proud Ricky is of his life and his accomplishments and that’s hard to take away from anyone.

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