Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the book ‘Catching a Christmas Cowboy’ written by Leah Vale, Lifetime’s ‘Rodeo Christmas Romance’ is a holiday romantic drama movie directed by Mike Donis. The narrative revolves around a spirited and independent rodeo bronc rider named Emma Barrett, who is busy caring for her injured horse. On top of that, she takes the additional responsibility of rach-sitting for a friend over the course of the holidays. Things get complicated further when she crosses paths with a veteran named Noal Holliday, with whom she develops a friendly rivalry. As time passes by, the two unexpectedly feel romantically inclined towards one another against the magical and snowy backdrops of Christmas in a countryside setting.
Where Was Rodeo Christmas Romance Filmed?
The shooting for ‘Rodeo Christmas Romance’ was conducted in Ontario, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area and its surrounding areas. From what we can tell, principal photography for the Lifetime production got underway in May 2025 under the working title ‘Catching a Christmas Cowboy’ and went on for a few weeks before wrapping up in the second week of June of the same year. With the release of the film approaching, Lanette Ware shared a few words of gratitude for the director, stating, “Big love to Mike Donis, truly an actor’s director. I’ve been lucky to work with Mike a few times this year now and I can honestly tell you, not many people can get me to rock a cowboy hat if it’s not on my way to a Beyonce concert but this dude can get the best out of me!”
Greater Toronto Area, Ontario
A majority of ‘Rodeo Christmas Romance’ was lensed in the Greater Toronto Area, consisting of the city of Toronto and the surrounding municipalities like Halton, Peel, York, and Durham. The production team reportedly made the most of Toronto’s vast and versatile landscape, while also taping many pivotal sequences in and around the communities located north of the city. In order to shoot a few additional portions, the cast and crew members also traveled a bit north outside the GTA and set up camp in the city of Barrie.
While the outdoor scenes were primarily shot in different streets and neighborhoods of the Greater Toronto Area, the indoor portions were recorded in a few real-life establishments and businesses in the region. Apart from ‘Rodeo Christmas Romance,’ the GTA has served as a prominent production location for various other movies and TV shows over the years, including ‘Serendipity,’ ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,’ ‘Lie with Me,’ ‘No Sleep ‘Til Christmas,’ ‘Heated Rivalry,’ and ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation.’
Rodeo Christmas Romance Cast Details
The undeniable chemistry between the characters of Rebecca Dalton and Corey Sevier helps bring the wholesome tale of ‘Rodeo Christmas Romance’ to life. Growing up in Ontario, Rebecca, also known as Becky, is an avid traveler who spent five months traveling through Southeast Asia in 2006. On the other hand, Corey has also served as a director for ‘The Christmas Charade,’ ‘Take Me Back for Christmas,’ ‘It Takes a Christmas Village,’ and ‘Heart of the Holidays.’
Rebecca Dalton as Emma Barrett
Rebecca Dalton portrays Emma Barrett, the independent rodeo bronc rider, in ‘Rodeo Christmas Romance.’ She has plenty of TV shows to her credit, including ‘Suits’ as Allison Sanders, ‘Spun Out’ as Stephanie Lyons, ‘The L.A. Complex’ as Dita, and ‘The Big Cigar’ as Jessica. Emma also features in numerous movies like ‘Head Over Heels,’ ‘Christmas by Design,’ ‘Lemonade Stand Romance,’ ‘Christmas in Paris,’ and ‘Rocky Road.’
Corey Sevier as Noal Holliday
In the Lifetime production, Corey Sevier steps into the role of the charming Noal Holliday, Emma’s romantic interest. Widely known for his portrayals of Captain Nick Hawkes in ‘Conduct Unbecoming,’ Alex Hahn in ‘Awaken,’ Apollo in ‘Immortals,’ and Cygnus in ‘The Northlander.’ His TV credits include ‘Cedar Cove,’ ‘Mistresses,’ ‘Messiah Complex,’ ‘Private Eyes,’ ‘Moonshine,’ ‘The Best Years,’ ‘Psych,’ ‘Instant Star,’ and ‘Wild Card.’
Other cast members who feature in ‘Rodeo Christmas Romance’ in supporting roles are Jim Watson as Bill Halliday, Ann Pirvu as Kathleen Parks, Brandon Oakes as Justin, Lanette Ware as Grace Mackenzie, Lindura as Maya Taylor, Lisa Michelle Cornelius as Dr. Felicity Miller, Stephanie Belding as Dr. Winshaw, and Nicki Whitely as Elizabeth.
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