The Black Stallion is a 1979 American adventure film based on the 1941 classic children's novel of the same name by Walter Farley. The film starts in 1946, five years after the book was published. It tells the story of Alec Ramsey, a boy who is shipwrecked on a deserted island with a wild Arabian stallion that he befriends. After being rescued, they are set on entering a race challenging two champion horses.
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse with historic roots on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest modern breeds. Although modern DNA cannot trace breed purity in the modern population beyond 200 years, there is archaeological evidence of horses in the Middle East with landrace characteristics that resemble modern Arabians dating back 3,500 years. Throughout history, Arabian horses have spread around the world by both war and trade, used to improve other breeds by adding speed, refinement, endurance, and strong bone. Today, Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every modern breed of riding horse.
Walter Farley was an American author, primarily of horse stories for children. His first and most famous work was The Black Stallion (1941), the success of which led to many sequels over decades; the series has been continued since his death by his son Steven.
The Haflinger, also known as the Avelignese, is a breed of horse developed in Austria and northern Italy during the late 19th century. Haflinger horses are relatively small, are always chestnut with flaxen mane and tail, have distinctive gaits described as energetic but smooth, and are well-muscled yet elegant. The breed traces its ancestry to the Middle Ages; several theories for its origin exist. Haflingers, developed for use in mountainous terrain, are known for their hardiness. Their current conformation and appearance are the result of infusions of bloodlines from Arabian and various European breeds into the original native Tyrolean ponies. The foundation sire, 249 Folie, was born in 1874; by 1904, the first breeders' cooperative was formed. All Haflingers can trace their lineage back to Folie through one of seven bloodlines. World Wars I and II, as well as the Great Depression, had a detrimental effect on the breed, and lower-quality animals were used at times to save the breed from extinction. During World War II, breeders focused on horses that were shorter and more draft-like, favored by the military for use as packhorses. The emphasis after the war shifted toward animals of increased refinement and height.
Birdcatcher (1833–1860), or Irish Birdcatcher, was a Thoroughbred racehorse and a leading sire.
Brentina was an Olympic-level dressage horse ridden by Debbie McDonald. She was owned by E. Parry Thomas.
The Black Stallion is the name of a bestselling series of books by Walter Farley, and also the name of the first book in the series, and the title character, an Arab stallion also known as the Black or Shêtân. The series chronicles the story of a Sheikh's prized stallion after a ship journey gone awry brings it into the possession of a young man named Alec Ramsay. Later books in the series furnish the Black's backstory. Shaytan is the Arabic word for "devil".
The Phantom Stallion is a series of children's literature books by American author Terri Farley, first published in 2002 by Avon Books. There are 24 books in the series.
Kelly Reno is a former child actor, rancher, and trucker. At age 13, he was cast in the role of Alec Ramsey, the young boy who is marooned on a deserted island along with an Arabian horse, in The Black Stallion.
Bolero (1975–1986) was a dressage horse and an influential sire. He stood 16.1 hands.
William Ross is an American composer, orchestrator, arranger, conductor and music director. Ross is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards, one Daytime Emmy Award, and has been nominated for one Annie Award. He has been nominated twice for the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).
The Black Stallion Returns is a 1983 adventure film, an adaptation of the book of the same name by Walter Farley, and sequel to The Black Stallion. The only film directed by Robert Dalva, it was produced by Francis Ford Coppola for MGM/UA Entertainment Company.
Figure was a small bay stallion owned by Justin Morgan; he became the foundation sire of the Morgan horse breed.
Running Free is a 2000 adventure drama film about a horse born into captivity in 1914. The film began production in 1998 and was released in the US in June 2000. It was directed by Sergei Bodrov, written and produced by Jean-Jacques Annaud, narrated by Lukas Haas, and distributed by Columbia Pictures.
Sheila Varian was an American breeder of Arabian horses who lived and worked at the Varian Arabians Ranch near Arroyo Grande, California. She grew up with a strong interest in horses, and was mentored in horsemanship by Mary "Sid" Spencer, a local rancher and Morgan horse breeder who also introduced Varian to the vaquero or "Californio" tradition of western riding. She started her horse ranch, Varian Arabians, in 1954 with the assistance of her parents. Raising and training horses was her full-time occupation beginning in 1963. She used vaquero-influenced methods of training horses, although she adapted her technique over the years to fit the character of the Arabian horse, which she viewed as a horse breed requiring a smart yet gentle approach.
The Yeguada Militar de Jerez de la Frontera, known outside Spain as the Yeguada Militar, is a military Spanish stud farm headquartered in Andalusia, Spain, dedicated to horse breeding of purebred Andalusian horses and Arabian horses. Founded in 1847, it became the state military stud farm in 1893. In the 20th century, as need for cavalry horses declined, the stud's emphasis shifted to become a genetic reservoir to preserve the bloodlines of the Pure Spanish Horse and to continue to breed high quality Arabian horses, with stallions of both breeds being made available to private horse breeders to improve the horses of Spain. Today, there are two facilities located in the Jerez de la Frontera area, one primarily for stallions, the other for mares and foals, as well as multiple stallion depots across the country.
Soothsayer (1808–1827) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1811. Bred and originally trained in Yorkshire he won the St Leger on his third racecourse appearance when still unnamed. He was later sold and trained for the remainder of his racing career at Newmarket where he won a valuable sweepstakes in 1812 and a match race against the Derby winner Phantom in 1813. He later became a successful breeding stallion, siring two classic winners and being the Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1819. He was later exported to Russia where he died in 1827.
Young Traveller was a British Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1791. Bred and originally campaigned in Yorkshire he won two of his three races as an unnamed three-year-old in 1791. On the day after his classic victory he defeated an unusually strong field of older horse to become the first St Leger winner to also win the Doncaster Cup. In the following year he was sold, renamed and raced mainly in Scotland, winning a further five races before the end of his racing career. Young Traveller does not appear to have been used as a breeding stallion.
Black Allan or Allan F-1 (1886–1910) was the foundation sire of the Tennessee Walking Horse. He was out of a Morgan and Thoroughbred cross mare named Maggie Marshall, a descendant of Figure and the Thoroughbred racing stallion Messenger; and sired by Allandorf, a Standardbred stallion descended from Hambletonian 10, also of the Messenger line.
