Here is an article reprinted with permission from the Red Bluff (CA.) Daily News

GROWNEY FEATURED IN "COWBOY UP'

 

Three days of Red Bluff stock contractor John Growney's life will be immortalized on film in the documentary "Cowboy's Up," due out next June. Daily News photo by Sarah Bardwell

By SARAH BARDWELL-DN Staff Writer

"Cowboy Up". Tuff to Lane in "8 Seconds."

Cowboy Up: "Get up and give it your all." David Wittkower.

"I had to decide what to do when I grew up and I didn't want to grow up, so I joined the rodeo business," said Red Bluff stock contractor John Growney. "I really believe cowboys never grow up."

In 1977, Growney entered the world of stock contracting after growing up in the car business on Jefferson Street in Red Bluff riding a bike "just like everybody else." But he bought a ranch, some bulls, a few horses. The rest is history.

Although Growney says the business in which he has chosen to survive "gets frustrating," he comes "outside, and I can't think of anything else I would want to do. Ninety-nine percent of the time I love this business."

So Growney allowed cinematographer, producer and director David Wittkower to enter his world for three days, put it on film, and present it to the rest of the world as part of an in-the-works documentary called "Cowboy Up." It's a "documentary about the trials and triumphs of a Professional Rodeo Cowboy, other rodeo professionals and life behind the chutes."

"They're bugging me," said Growney with a smile. "But it's fun. Anytime you can bring someone from outside in, they inject something good. All worlds stagnate."

Growney is part three, said Wittkower, the portion devoted to stock contracting and, solely to Growney. He exists as the only stock contractor interviewed simply because he is "the best; I don't need to see the rest."

"Cowboy Up" will fly through five segments each an estimated 15 minutes long, touching upon life on the road, bullfighters and barrelmen, stock contractors, the fallen, and the final show "where all is put together."

But each segment will come back to one main theme - Lane Frost.

Wittkower has spoken with Frost's family and with Growney whom he considers one of those who "knew (Frost) best through the Challenge of the Champions and Red Rock the bull."

So he spenta day driving with Growney "forever to somewhere green to deliver cows." A resident of Los Angeles for the last 21 years, Wittkower said he'd never been anywhere near a ranch before.

After completing a firefighter film, Wittkower wanted to create a story based upon the reality behind those "based upon a true story" Hollywood films such as "8-seconds." But Wittkower got no interest from television stations and turned to bullriding. His original theme was to follow one bullrider around the country for one year. Again, he got no sponsorship. So, dedicated to the idea, he chose to support himself, and his sound man Jon Trebilcock, out of pocket. The money from that last film is funding this one. He's "determined to get it finished."

Wittkower admits to being an outsider within the rodeo business, maybe a little "behind the times; I'm not a cowboy." But he professes a respect for those cowboys and an "interest in what they do." He's willing to douse himself in their world except for getting on a bull. "I'm not going to do that."

"I'm just trying to tell a story," said Wittkower. The story he wants to tell is the one Growney knows well - the story you just don't see featured on TNN in the midst of rodeo week. It's the story behind that nationally televised story.

"All films talk about what happens in the arena. I chose to take a different route and show what you don't see on TV," said Wittkower. "I'm learning from John Growney that stock contracting is a whole different world. People don't know what happens and how much he puts into it. At the end of a day, he is covered in cow manure. It seems he would go out of his way to help you; he's well respected and well known."

Wittkower is planning to film the last 15 minutes of his film at the finals in Las Vegas, Nev. Hoping the documentary will be ready for release next June, Wittkower says he will take it to TNN, ESPN, the learning channels and even the foreign channels.

"I've had so many discouragements," said Wittkower. "I've been ready to give up four or five times. But I take a time out and realize ... I need to keep going."

Cowboy up.