The thread about movie music over on Off Topic made me think of this scene, but it’s got so much else besides the music that I decided to start a new thread in Off Course.
What are your favorite horse scenes from the movies?
Two of my all time favorites:
The Man from Snowy River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if9p1TnDvRY
Phar Lap
Just part of the clip, the Good Stuff starts @ 3min in, but the mounted cops are my favorite part of this number:
(Kudos to Twyla Tharp’s incredible choreography!)
Then, of course this:
Want to see me get misty eyed? Play the beginning of the 1984 movie Champions. The movie is about jockey Bob Champion and the exceptional racer, Aldaniti, coming back from cancer and injury to win the Grand National (AIR).
The video is of the real Aldaniti galloping slo-mo on the moors. Makes me tear up every time I see it. (PS: A very young Kirstie Alley plays a vet in an early scene.)
I edited this to correct when it shows up in the film (although I still think it’s at the end too) based on this article which is an interesting read. Wasn’t able to find a video link.
https://www.britishhorseracingmovies.uk/champions#:~:text=Most%20of%20the%20racecourse%20scenes,winning%20there%20is%20a%20mystery.
I have that movie on VHS and I still have a VHS machine, but it is a PITA to dig out the movie. I remember it is a great movie.I do not remember the ending video of Aldaniti!
I have Champions on DVD. It is a great movie.
I’m excited to know it’s available on DVD!
Don’t know if this counts, but I’ve always loved the choice in Seabiscuit to cut away from the match race at the moment of the bell- silence, then a quiet crescendo of the radio broadcast- before cutting back to the intensity of the race. Gives me chills for some reason. They really captured the anticipation in that instant.
(Starts at about 1:45)
I was so glad this was mentioned here a while back. What a fun clip with the horses!
Rebecca
If you’ll allow me on more comment. Seabiscuit came out when my nephew was about 9, and I took him to see it. This race scene so captured him that he started yelling “C’mon Seabiscuit!” The whole movie theater started to cheer The Biscuit on.
Super-niche, but the British kid’s series from the 1970s Black Beauty had some of the most beautiful horses (not “beautiful” in terms of horses with flowing manes and Hollywood-like horses, but real, working horses) I’ve ever seen. You can find episodes on YouTube.
The Pride & Prejudice from '95 had some great riding scenes with Darcy and Bingley.
My first thought when reading this thread’s title was this scene from The Black Stallion, of course 
The Black Stallion 01 - YouTube
yes, it is the best part, of one of the best movies ever. It is a favorite of mine, and I consider it nearly perfect. The racing scenes are better than any movie I have ever seen, includng seabisciut and secratariat.
I took my young kids to Seabiscuit and we didn’t go to an actual theater much in those days but I’m so glad we did for that one.
Secretariat too! That race from the film still gives me chills, when he rounds the corner…
I cry every time he rounds the final corner. Every. Time.
Footnote on Seabiscuit…one of the horses who portrayed Seabiscuit in the movie, Popcorn Deelites “Pops” was a crowd favorite at Old Friends until his passing early in ‘22. Son of Afternoon Delight who was owned by the writer of that top 40 hit (and many others).
IIRC, story goes Pops was not the first choice for the closeup racing scenes but the other horse tried to win every take so they switched to him because he accepted direction.
YES to Champions, must go find it. Not only was the jockey (John Hurt) recovering from cancer, Aldaniti was recovering from a potentially career ending leg injury. If it was not true, you’d never believe it. Just googled, looks like Amazon Prime streams it, probably where to buy the DVD too. Used to have it but gave it to a friend fighting cancer.
As soon as I saw the title of this thread, that scene in Phar Lap immediately came to my mind. It is without a doubt one of my favorite scenes in ANY movie and my favorite for sure in a horse movie! Goosebumps galore!!
That is so awesome!
I love that movie. Great film-making!
The Big Country, starring Gregory Peck, has an absolute hilarious scene in which he rides a very poorly behaved Appaloosa who is a specialist at bucking people off. The horse absolutely steals the scene starting w taking the saddle blanket off when Gregory Peck and the wrangler try to saddle him,
That is one of my favorite movies, mostly for the music, but it has a great cast, and a good story, if a bit long. I have read that the appy used in that scene was owned by Slim Pickens, (think riding the bomb like a bronc in Dr Strangelove). He apparently did the riding and coming off multiple times, stunt riding for Peck. I guess he didn’t want anyone else riding him. And if he wasn’t a bronc, but a good horse, I can see why he wouldn’t want anyone else doing that.
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