Stagecoach 2025: Festivalgoers can find healing and peace with Compton Cowboys
Amid the dust, music, and excitement of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, a new kind of experience quietly made its debut.
Gravel Road and the Compton Cowboys teamed up to introduce the Equine Wellness Experience, a calming oasis tucked inside the bustling festival grounds, inviting festivalgoers to step away from the chaos and reconnect with nature through mindful workshops, horse interactions, and a space to simply slow down.
The idea for the Equine Wellness Experience came from a desire to address the mental health needs of artists and attendees alike.
“I wanted to lean a little more into the mental health side for musicians and artists,” explained Anthony Martini, co-founder of Gravel Road, a Nashville-based record label, publishing, and management company. “I know creatives are more susceptible to issues, especially with a lifestyle that keeps them away from home during important moments like holidays. Horses offer so many therapeutic benefits. We wanted to bring something different and calming to the desert, something that also raises awareness.”
While the Compton Cowboys have long had a presence at Stagecoach, Gravel Road’s collaboration aimed to deepen the impact by emphasizing the powerful energy horses naturally bring. According to Martini, just being near the horses can be a soothing experience. “Their presence alone is calming,” he said. “There’s a powerful energy around horses. Just being near them can be transformative.”
The Corral, curated by wellness advocate Maritt Peterson and equine behavior expert Patrick Dunn, offered casual, approachable workshops focused on mindfulness, confidence, and communication — all without the pressure of riding. Throughout the weekend, fans could see artists making appearances, sharing in activities that blended the spirit of country music with the grounding nature of horsemanship. The space itself stayed lively with DJ sets from Corey Biggs, Country Night, Hamooudie, Jay Shredz, and Super Drew.
At a festival known for its nonstop Western energy, the Corral provided a rare opportunity for mindfulness amidst a big event like Stagecoach.
“Stagecoach is one of the biggest festivals in general, so for them to give us even a slice of real estate to do something like this is huge,” Martini said. “We wanted to use our platform to do something good, and to do it in a way that’s front-facing and approachable. Sometimes there’s a stigma, like you have to be struggling to need something like this, but it doesn’t have to be that formal. Even just hanging out casually with a horse can be enough. It doesn’t have to feel intimidating.”
The partnership between Gravel Road and the Compton Cowboys wasn’t born overnight, it was built on personal connection.
Martini, who grew up in an urban environment in New Jersey, first encountered the Compton Cowboys through Randy Savvy, one of the group’s founders. “I didn’t have much interaction with horses growing up,” he said.
“When I first met Randy, it was so inspiring. I asked him how I could help bring what they’re doing to a bigger audience. Visiting the ranch in Compton was transformative. You wouldn’t expect a place like that in the middle of Los Angeles, it feels like it could be in Montana. It’s a zen space in the middle of a massive city. It transported me.”
That first visit sparked a larger vision for Gravel Road that extends beyond music. “This experience at Stagecoach is just the beginning,” Martini said. “We want to lean even more into this space and figure out new ways for artists to access wellness support, even through the label itself. We’re looking at developing a mental health arm within our company.”
When asked to sum up the Compton Cowboys Corral experience in three words, Martini chuckled. “Fun, approachable, and I’ll let the fans decide the last one.”