CHRIS BURGARD (Writer | Director)

Chris Burgard was born in Wisconsin in 1962. The son of a cop and a cowgirl, he was riding horses before he could walk.

Following college, Chris declined a job with The Royal Lippazaner Stallions to join The Duluth Ballet Company. After dancing with The Ruth Page Chicago Ballet, Savannah Ballet and Long Beach Ballet, Chris hung up his tights for Hollywood.

Starring in such films as Twice Dead and 84 Charlie Mopic, Chris moved to the world of television with a recurring role as Stony Zammit on Tour of Duty and then spent a year on Growing Pains as the comedic Dwight Haliburton.

Feeling the need for a break from Hollywood, Chris challenged his curiosity by pursuing the rodeo arena. He scared bulls all over the Southwest and later opened a horse training facility in Temecula, CA, which he relocated to The Los Angeles Equestrian Center. After three and a half years of team penning and training cow ponies, Chris revisited the Hollywood scene appearing horseback in Purgatory, Anna and The King, The Scorpion King, Hidalgo, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Last Samurai.

Chris later wrote, produced, directed and starred in television pilots Polka People and All About Horses with thoroughbred racing legend Julie Krone.   He starred in, wrote and directed the cult classic The Ruining which premiered at Cannes Film Market in May of 2004.

In 1993, Chris was one of the founding members of the nationally recognized charity, Inner City Slickers. In his role as senior wrangler, Chris worked with thousands of underprivileged and incarcerated juveniles over a ten year period. By taking juveniles out of their environments, giving them all the opportunities and responsibilities of ranch life, and introducing them to the values of the cowboy code, the organization has had a powerful, positive influence on thousands of  boys and girls.

Chris continues to follow his passion of directing films and working with horses. In 2003, while on their Kenyan honeymoon, he and his wife spent time with the world renowned author and conservationist, Kuki Gallman. They made a commitment to combining her healing world vision with the opportunities of the cowboy lifestyle, in hopes of someday bringing troubled youngsters to ride horseback in Africa.