Education

Born John Barker in Burnley, Lancashire, he attended Rosehill Junior School.

Career

Ryan has appeared in supporting roles in film and television His more memorable characters include Fergus in the 1997 Fox television series Roar and Myles Standish in Disney"s 1994 adventure drama film Squanto: A Warrior"s Tale. He later became a bookseller and martial arts teacher in the town.

Ryan made his acting debut in 1983 in G.B.H. and soon landed a small role in the hit British soap opera Emmerdale (then known as Emmerdale Farm) as Jameson.

Ryan appeared in theatre productions of Far from the Madding Crowd and A Streetcar Named Desire, and in supporting roles in films and television series including Coronation Street, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, General Hospital, Murder, She Wrote, Cybill, and the made-for-television movie The Heidi Chronicles. Ryan also played the main antagonist Cyborg in American Cyborg: Steel Warrior.

Ryan moved to California in the early 1990s. He owns and operates the Red Rose Ranch, a working horse and cattle ranch near Inyokern, California, where he raises, boards, and sells horses.

He trains horses and riders in both dressage and western riding.

Ryan"s specialty is the doma vaquera style of western riding, a Spanish form of competitive Western pleasure riding.

Achievements

• He has won multiple national and international titles in the sport, and he has written books and produced videos on the doma vaquera style.