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Sacramento Lawyer "Saddles Up" To Star In Reality TV Series |
| Although she always dreamed of being a cowgirl, Candice took a more traditional route, first pursuing a career in advertising and sales and later law. Candice has been practicing law since 1994, after earning her law degree from McGeorge School of Law. She has spent most of her legal career at Segal & Kirby, where she specializes in white collar criminal defense, legal malpractice and general civil litigation. Candice (or "Candy" as she is known on the show) had never heard of "Cowboy U" when an old friend called and urged her to respond to a casting call. When the friend reminded her of her persistent "whining" over her desire to be a cowgirl, she decided to go for it. Drawing on her sales background, she put together what she described as "a sales pitch, coupled with a healthy amount of begging." It worked, and she was invited for a callback audition in Los Angeles. When she discovered the production lot was walking distance from her childhood home where she first dreamed of being a cowgirl, she knew her life had come full circle. After Candice said "yes" to appearing on the series, she watched episodes from the previous season, which at once comforted and intimidated her. She saw a lot whining about performing tasks such as mucking horse stalls, bailing hay and feeding cattle. Having survived law school and litigated for over a decade, she thought she had the discipline to "grin and bear it." However, she also saw "lots of horns," which caused her some concern. Nevertheless, she looked forward to the opportunity to perform "outside her comfort zone." Instead of the intellectual challenges she was used to facing, she would take on the elements, animals and seven other competitors. After being flown to Texas and put up in a hotel, Candice was dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to get fitted with a mouth guard. At that point, the dangerousness of the tasks she would be asked to complete set in. A mouth guard never figured into her cowgirl fantasy. All the contestants were housed together in a bunkhouse. Although contestants packed for a three-week adventure, everything they brought with them was confiscated. They were outfitted with jeans, boots, hats, and the like. Everything was provided. Contestants were filmed 18 hours a day. Professional cowboy Rocco Wachman and champion bull rider Judd Leffew guided contestants through an intense cowboy boot camp where they were expected to learn to horseback ride, rope calves, wrestle steer, barrell race, ride a bull and perform other "livestock related" tasks - "some more humiliating than others," said Candice. Contestants were evaluated on three factors: determination; guts; and improvement. Eliminations did not begin until after boot camp. Contestants competed in a variety of challenges - "things you'd see in rodeos and others designed to entertain," explained Candice. The series culminates in a final rodeo challenge. Candice is forbidden from providing too much detail since the series will still be airing when this article is published. Candice described the series as "wholesome" compared to other reality tv shows; however, she acknowledged "some conflict is inevitable when you get eight big personalities competing for anything." Because contestants paired up for many of the challenges, tolerance was critical. As she explained, "the trick is to succeed despite the conflict. It's a great life lesson." She did admit to taking some ribbing for being a lawyer: "Lawyer jokes were alive and well on the ranch." She also said she felt an obligation to the profession to maintain her dignity in an environment that often invited the opposite. Candice's biggest moment on the show came during a challenge that involved "going face to face with a dangerous animal." At a moment of considerable physical risk and mental anguish, Candice found what she describes as her "place of no fear," "where your mind is completely clear of everything but accomplishing the task at hand." Now that she's found this place, she spends less time second-guessing herself and being self-conscious. The experience also taught her how to get "cowboy'd up" - "to set your sites on a goal and not let anything get in your way, including physical or mental pain." While she cannot disclose how the series ended, she says she was pleased with her performance. "I met my personal goal of remaining gracious, enjoying my victories and learning from my defeats. I never went to sleep thinking that I could have done more or been more determined." Perhaps her proudest moment on the show was when instructor and champion bull rider Judd Leffew told her, "Candy, if I ever need a lawyer, I'd sure want you on my side." Candice described her adventure as "the experience of a lifetime" and expressed extreme gratitude to her employer, Segal & Kirby, for supporting her in pursuing her dream of becoming a cowgirl. Candice rejoined the cast and crew in Los Angeles on July 1 for a cast party and to watch the first episode air. July / August 2005 |
Selected from among thousands of applicants,
According to Candice, "the producers were looking for people who like to win, who are competitive and have big personalities." Having taken and defended countless depositions, she found it surprisingly challenging to be on the receiving end of the questioning. "I felt like a deponent," she explained, "like every word counted." Although she was concerned she may have come across as too shy, her fears were soon allayed when she learned she'd been selected, along with three other women and four men, to attend "Cowboy U". The premise of the show is to turn "city slickers" into cowboys and cowgirls in three short weeks.
The series is set in a different location each year. This season the series takes place on a ranch in Alpine, Texas (aka "the Texas Alps"). In addition to Candice, the wannabee cowboys include a ballet instructor, a music director, an artist, a personal trainer, a fashion merchandiser, a graphic designer and a salesman. The urbanites must find the courage to face their biggest fears and learn to become real working ranch cowboys as they battle for $25,000. According to the show's producer's, this is the "roughest and toughest" season yet.