Through the years, Hollywood has produced a good number of movies depicting the horseracing world.
Ambition, pain, loss, and joy of winning all feel like our own watching the drama-filled lives unravel on the big screen.
Here are 9 best horse racing movies.
War Horse, 2011
Directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg, the movie is based on the Novel by Michael Morpurgo.
It tells a story of a horse Joey and his life, from being trained by a boy Albert in the English countryside to fighting in World War I. In Europe, Joey encounters numerous individuals and owners throughout and experiences the war’s tragedies around him.
Adding to the drama, the young man Albert enlists too, and his hopeful journey takes him to the war’s front lines.
The movie was well-received both by the critics and the audience.
Seabiscuit, 2003
It’s a movie about a champion thoroughbred who was the top money-winning racehorse until the ’40s.
Beating all the odds and becoming a champion, Seabiscuit was a symbol of hope in the US during the Great Depression.
The movie is an adaptation of the book by Laura Hillenbrand and has earned 7 Oscar nominations. It stars Hollywood A-listers like Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges.
Hidalgo, 2004
The film is a story about a cowboy Frank Hopkins, played by Viggo Mortensen, a horse expert who performs in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.
A wealthy sheik challenges Hopkins to prove himself in a long-distance horse race called the Ocean of Fire. He must race his American mustang against thoroughbred horses ridden by the best riders in the world.
It’s a classic epic film that everyone needs once in a while!
The Horse Whisperer, 1998
Directed and starring by a Hollywood legend Robert Redford the movie is based on Nicholas Evans’s novel.
Redford plays the “Horse Whisperer” trainer, and his co-star Scarlet Johansson pays a little girl Grace who was injured in an accident that also took the life of her friend.
Grace has a partially amputated leg and is bitter while her horse is traumatized, but Tom Booker comes in and helps the girl recover by helping her horse.
Sylvester, 1985
Sylvester is a movie about a lost girl named Charlie who finds a horse that excels in eventing and ends up competing in a 3-day-event in Kentucky.
The 16-year-old orphan is struggling to raise her two younger brothers when she endeavors to train a rogue horse she names Sylvester and turns him into an eventing champion.
The movie doesn’t disappoint in its grandeur and has a few surprises in store.
Bite the Bullet, 1975
Based on the early 20th century’s actual events, the movie’s story is about a difficult 700-mile horse race in 1906.
The 15 contestants include two former Rough Riders, a little virtue lady, a punk kid, an old cowhand, an English gentleman, and other colorful characters who race against a thoroughbred of championship horse owned by a wealthy man.
The film pays attention to sportsmanship, animal cruelty, racism, the end of the Old West, and the bonds of marriage and friendship.
Buck, 2011
“Buck” is a documentary that follows a world-renowned horseman, Buck Brannaman, and his unique horse training techniques.
Buck trains horses using a relationship built on trust and explanation rather than one built on fear. The viewer also gets a glimpse of the circumstances that helped Buck become the fantastic horse trainer he is.
Black Beauty, 2020
In “Black Beauty,” a wild horse and a teenage girl create an unbreakable bond that keeps them connected for a lifetime.
The adaptation from 1994 is a saga of what can happen to these gorgeous creatures.
Kate Winslet voices the mustang hero on its journey through the hands of many different owners, of which some are kind, and some are cruel.
The Electric Horseman, 1979
The Electric Horseman is a comedy-drama romance western film starring Robert Redford (he really must love horses!), Jane Fonda, and is directed by deceased director Sydney Pollack.
Redford plays championship rodeo star who runs away with the company’s racehorse Rising Star after becoming a breakfast cereal spokesperson. Intrigued?
Here you have a list of the best horse related movies. If you like horse racing, don’t forget to bet on horse races by Twinspires.
Categorised in: Other
This post was written by Nadia Vella