Ludovic Desette Wins Roping Contest

Ludovic Desette, one of the Moody Brothers' biggest fans as a teenager, won the roping contest a few days ago in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Disneyland Paris Resort. Ludovic Desette started frequenting Billy Bob's when he was 14. He came by train or friend from his home in Croissy Beauborg about 10 miles away to watch and listen to country music and became a bit of a fixture in the bar. His likability made him one of the favorite fans of the musicians who played their regularly. So impressed was he with the music and the musicians that Ludo vowed to learn to play like them. So he did. He learned to speak English fluently, practiced guitar, and became an accomplished guitarist and singer.

One day during this time Ludo was invited backstage to see the Cowboys and Indians in the show. Upon seeing them exit at full gallop from the arena he decided he wanted to do that as well. So he did. With the help of some friends in the south of France, he learned how to ride horses western style well enough that now he currently plays Cowboy in the show with a high degree of authenticity. He is one of only a handful of French performers who looks the part on stage. He wear the right clothes the right way, with the right swagger.

Roping, however, has been Ludo's biggest challenge, undermining his determination to be seen as an authentic Cowboy. But Ludo rises to challenges. He practices. He listens. He learns. Several days ago he not only caught a horse in the show but won the roping competition, beating out several other very accomplished North American Cowboys who are normally excellent ropers but who failed to catch. Congratulations to Ludo for his numerous accomplishments.

URGENT! French Taxes Due NOW!

For those among you who work at Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and have their taxes prepared by Karen Carmichael and/or Gregory Smith: French taxes are DUE! NOW! Christelle and Cecile are absent at the moment, so you must mail your signed French tax forms directly to them no later than Monday May 19, 2008 or "we'll be in a big mess by the end of the month".

The address:

Smith Carmichael Associates
23, rue du Montparnasse
Paris 75006
France

Get The Casual Reporter by Email

For those who don't know, The Casual Reporter is a blog by me, Trent Vance, about cast members of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Disneyland Paris - cast past and present updates, show info, jokes, news, local info, and more. I'd be grateful if you would email me contact info for former cast members, updates of you if you're a former cast member, photos or videos of the show (especially bloopers), stories for me to follow up on, comments on the blog, or whatever else you want. Make sure you let me know what info I can post and what you want kept private. I've found it best to subscribe by email or news reader from within the blog (or by clicking the above) so you don't miss out. You can also email stories, make comments, and share posts on all the major social networking sites via links at the bottom of each post. Check it out if you have a minute and haven't already done it. Subscribe if you want - you can always unsubscribe later. Cheers!

Enrique Nearly Killed AGAIN!

That Enrique Barrera is just one crazy guy.

So.. Enrique loses his hat during the first lap of the Pony Express, riding for the Gold Star Ranch of Texas. His team mate, Jesse James Townsend, picks up Enrique's hat during Enrique's second lap. Enrique dismounts, runs to the mailbox, puts the letter in the mailbox, and runs towards the ranch. As he does, Jesse frisbee's Enrique's hat in front of Enrique so he can catch the hat in mid-run. Enrique accelerates, determined to catch his hat before it hits ground. The hat sails, twirling through the air and, despite Enrique's efforts, lands inches from the wall of the Gold Star ranch. Enrique, still running full-speed, smacks head-first into the wall. Or at least it looked head-first. His body snaps back and collapses on the sand. He appears unconscious with a small grin on his face. Jesse runs over and grabs Enrique by one ankle, pulling him upstage to safety. As Jesse struggles and it's clear nobody's going to help him, Enrique grabs Jesse's leg and trips him as well. Good clean comedy.

Clay Smith Shows Off Antique Road Grader

A few weeks back Clay Smith, former cowboy in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Disney Village, Disneyland Paris Resort, sent me a short message about an antique restoration project that few others would likely have experienced. Clay writes:

"It may seem odd to some people, but I’m very proud of this restoration project. It’s a 1930-ish pull type road grader. I use it about once a month on the place to maintain the roads."

Teri Matter's Mission Matters

Perhaps Teri Matter's name has subtly influenced her current mission, which many would agree matters. I recently read in Yes!: 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion that a study conducted by social psychologist Brett Pelham shows strong evidence that our names can affect important, life-altering decisions. Dentists, for example are 87 percent more likely to be named Dennis than you'd expect if name similarity had absolutely no effect on career choice. Is it true for Teri as well? Here is an excerpt from a recent email Teri sent to The Casual Reporter:

I am a nonprofit organization "Forever Faithful Ministries" helping all children through horses We take in rescue horses and children with emotional needs. We serve the community with the Gospel and Horses. We have 13 horses including Goya (from Disney) and just want to bring families closer together with 115 acres of nature and the beautiful nature of horses.

Teri Matter played Annie Oakley in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Disney Village, Disneyland Paris for several years on and off since the inception of the show in 1992. Hey.. maybe "Teri" has had some influence on another thing she's involved with:

I have an article coming out in the newspaper this week and have been nominated for Extreme Makeover Home Edition on TV.

..because "Teri" is like "terry cloth" like the towels in her bathroom after the Extreme Makeover. Or maybe it's Teri as in "don't tarry" because Extreme Makeovers happen fast. Did you know Teri Hatcher had a similar makeover? Coincidence or destiny? And what about my buddy Robert LaPoule: first name sounds a bit like "Rubber" when pronounced in French and "LaPoule" means "Chicken".. and he's a rubber chicken. Weird man. Has your name subtly impacted your major life decisions?

The CR Apologizes for Robert LaPoule Post

I apologize for the post my friend/colleague Robert LaPoule made a couple days back. Robert has lived at the Wild West Show in someone else's locker for years with no complaints. A few years back, following the Bird Flu scare, the real chickens disappeared from the show without warning or explanation. Ever since then Robert's been depressed. I think he had a crush on Mildred. I felt sorry for Robert so I invited him home for a good meal, play with the kids, and just to try to cheer him up. Now he won't leave. He invites himself along on family outings, laying quietly among us in silent judgment (aside from an occasional squeak from his butt). Now he's apparently figured out how to hack onto my blog. I didn't even know he could write. (I suppose there's a good argument that he can't.) Robert means no harm, eats nothing, and can be quite entertaining at times so I just don't have the heart to kick him out of the house. I had a long talk with him the other night about personal boundaries and proper spelling, things that escaped him during his difficult upbringing. He didn't say anything but I got the impression he was listening. In the end I gave him a big hug and his butt squeak woke up the kids. That's exactly him - likable, funny, disruptive and annoying all at the same time. Someone you want to hug and slap in the same moment. Anyway, I thought you deserved an explanation.