Belton horse receives red carpet treatment at film fundraiser

April 10, 2025

By Daniel Moctezuma

The Belton Journal

One of Belton’s own four-legged stars, Ruger the horse, received a red carpet welcome at the Beltonian Theatre last Wednesday during a film screening and fundraiser hosted by BLORA Ranch to support its nonprofit program, Hoofbeats for Heroes.

The “Red Carpet Rodeo” featured photos with Ruger, a silent auction, refreshments, and a screening of Jane Got a Gun, a 2015 Western starring Natalie Portman in which Ruger appeared. He also had a role in The Homesman, a film starring Tommy Lee Jones.

“We wanted to showcase him tonight and give him a moment to shine,” said Jessica Taylor, a volunteer with BLORA Ranch and the event’s organizer. “We’re trying to raise money for the ranch because we have a herd of 26, and it’s a lot of mouths to feed and tack to buy."

The fundraiser supported Hoofbeats for Heroes, a nonprofit that uses equine-assisted services to help military veterans, active-duty soldiers, first responders and their families. All of the horses are either donated or rescued and later trained to assist in therapy sessions.

“We call them our horse angels,” Taylor said. “They help a lot of people do different things.” 

Tiffany Zeitouni, founder of Hoofbeats for Heroes, said Ruger was previously a polo horse. A former owner saw his potential for film work, which led to a four-year stint in Hollywood.

“Ruger was donated in 2019,” Zeitouni said. “He has a really cool personality, but he also provides a lot of confidence for our riders.”

Samantha Kopecky, who attended the event, said she and her daughters ride at the ranch regularly.

“They do so much for our family,” she said. “What they provide us, we could never repay them.” 

The Napolet family has been involved with the program since 2019, starting when their daughter Ryan began riding lessons. Over time, it became a full family experience.

“We were there when it was Ruger’s first day out at the ranch,” said James Napolet. “Everybody fell in love with Ruger—he’s great with the kids and with the soldiers.” 

Amanda Napolet, an Army service member, spent six months working full time at the ranch through the military’s SkillBridge program.

“It gave me adequate time to get my mind right and not have to do my daily job,” she said. “It was a beautiful place to just have time to reset.”

Hoofbeats for Heroes operates out of BLORA Ranch near the intersection of Sparta Road and Cottage Road in Belton.