Hell on Hooves is entering the U.S. arena.

The HD TV series, produced by Saskatchewan-based Juxtapose Productions, has had its second and third seasons picked up by MAV TV in the U.S. The series airs on radX in Canada.

The seasons are distributed by Denmark’s Off The Fence, which has already successfully sold them to other international markets including Scandinavia and Brazil. Season one is distributed by U.K.-based Espresso TV.

Executive producer Dennis Hrapchak tells Playback Daily that he came about the news unexpectedly.

“I was looking for some information from [Off the Fence] about a U.S. broadcaster and I got a hold of their North American rep, and he just said, ‘Oh, by the way, I just sold [Hell on Hooves] into MAV TV in the States for you,” says Hrapchak.

Off the Fence last year sold a Juxtapose-produced 3D episode from the series, filmed at the Strathmore Rodeo in Alberta in 2010, into China. That episode was also picked up by U.S. 3D broadcaster 3net last year.

Hell on Hooves follows the bull riders on the Canadian Pro Rodeo Tour, with a side focus on the other events of a professional rodeo. The episodes feature different locations on the tour, and let viewers to get to know the riders through interviews and bull riding coverage.

Last year, Hell on Hooves took home a Gemini for best general/human interest series, and in 2010, third season writer, director and producer Doug Hudema won for best writing (he also holds the same credits for season two).

This year, the series received CMF funding for the first time, and Hrapchak says it made a big impression on a staffer there.

“She’d never heard of or seen Hell on Hooves before, and she was totally engaged. She asked if I could send her another DVD so she could watch all of it,” says Hrapchak.

With two Geminis and a fourth season in post-production (Hrapchak says it will premiere in March on radX) under their belts, Hrapchak says he’s hoping to keep building on that type of audience engagement.

“We’re hoping to get a season five, and we’re really trying to take this format and move it into the U.S.,” he says.

“There are lots of Saturday afternoon sports highlight-type shows of rodeo, but there are no real, true lifestyle documentaries like this. [It’s] people in their everyday lives and they’re really quite interesting individuals,” he says.

Hell on Hooves is also written and directed by Eric Thiessen for season three.