“1,000 Miles in a Dusty Saddle” is a new video from director Owen Jones that follows riders participating in the 2023 edition of the Race Across Texas. Find an up-close perspective of the challenging 1,000-mile event traversing the Lone Star State here…

Words, video, and photos by Owen Jones

The Race Across Texas (RAT) draws athletes from across the world to test their mettle against the Texas elements. The 1,000-mile route is almost entirely off-road, starting in Texarkana and winding through the gravel farm roads of North East Texas before giving way to the red dirt roads of the West Texas canyons and plains, then finishing on Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Riders grit their teeth hoping to grind through the dust, wind, and solitude, sleeping on the side of the road, running out of supplies, and praying to make it to the finish, only to then figure out how to get home.

  • 1,000 Miles in a Dusty Saddle, Race Across Texas
  • 1,000 Miles in a Dusty Saddle, Race Across Texas

Bringing the viewer to the race using vehicle mounted cameras, gimbals, drones, and traditional shoulder rigs to interview riders in the field, 1,000 Miles in a Dusty Saddle captures not only the events of the race but the atmosphere and the commitment that is demanded of the riders. I created it during the 2023 edition of the event in collaboration with cinematographer Nikola Simic, and it shares the stories and perspectives of the riders and spectators throughout the eight-day journey.

  • 1,000 Miles in a Dusty Saddle, Race Across Texas
  • 1,000 Miles in a Dusty Saddle, Race Across Texas

I’ve always found it interesting to speak with and watch someone work at something they’re passionate about. The subject isn’t all that important to me, and neither is the person’s ability within that microcosm. Rather, it’s the passion I find interesting. When that passion is paired with an equal level of dedication, something truly amazing happens. People climb mountains, swim across seas, build a rocket in their back yard, or ride a bicycle across the desert. That’s what this film is about: passion and dedication manifesting themselves through an off-road bicycle ride across the entire state of Texas.

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