Robert Redford’s connection to Utah: From Sundance to The Horse Whisperer Ranch

Robert Redford took his last breath near Utah, as revealed in the statement made by Cindi Berger, Chairman & CEO at Rogers & Cowan PMK. Robert's first wife, Lola Van Wagenen, whom he was married to from 1958 to 1985, was reportedly from Utah.

In 1978, Robert also founded the Sundance Film Festival, which was initially named the Utah/US Film Festival, and also promoted it via the Utah State Film Commission.

Additionally, Redford also founded Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization for independent artists, Sundance Group, and Sundance Channel, all near Utah's Park City.

Three years into their marriage, Robert also bought land near Provo Canyon, as per The New York Times. Later on, he also purchased a ski resort in Utah, which he renamed Sundance Mountain Resort.

He bought a 30-acre ranch in Charleston, Utah, named after The Horse Whisperer, which became a home to him and his second wife, Sibylle Szaggars, whom he married in 2009.

Redford’s entry into political activism came in 1969, when he reached out to Utah Gov. Calvin Rampton as he opposed a Provo Canyon road that threatened the North Fork of the Provo River.

All of this reflected Redford’s deep bond with Utah, the place where he spent his final days. According to Newsweek, his funeral is also likely to be held in Utah, where he spent most of his life.

Robert Redford talks about Utah

Speaking to Orion Magazine about his movie Jeremiah Johnson, which was filmed in Utah, Robert Redford said:

"In the case of Jeremiah Johnson, that was about showcasing (Utah’s) Mount Timpanogos, a landscape where I have lived since 1960. Where I raised my family. I was always taken with mountains."

Talking about the environment and opposing the construction of a coal power plant on Utah’s Kaiparowits Plateau, Redford told the outlet:

"This would have been in the early 1970s. Having experienced the beauty and fragility of the area during filming for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I couldn’t accept the idea that constructing a power plant in that location was a good one."

Robert Redford once also talked about the Horse Whisperer Ranch, located in Utah, to The Wall Street Journal, where he said:

"For the last 25 years, my family and I have loved and embraced this ranch as a base for our horse program, running clinics and serving as a home for our many beloved horses."

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