Hidalgo?


It's the same story almost, isn't it? The big race in Arabia, horses, the main character proving everyone wrong...I'd much rather see Viggo though.

GONZO

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Except that no way is the Hidalgo story even close to true. A paint horse beating Arabians in the desert, i don't think so.

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You appear to not know very much about the history of the American Mustang. Couple of points:

1) a paint is a color classification - not a breed so not sure what the point is about a particular color of horse beating a particulat breed of horse.

2) The American Mustang is one of the toughest horses around - made more so by the fact he has to live in extreme condictions. Desert areas, scrub food, etc.

3) Based on the time period this movie looks like it is being set it - I would surmise that Hildago is suppose to be a Mustang - a horse that traces its linage to the Arabian, the Audalusian, and the Spanish Barb.

Do not compare a Mustang to a Quarter Horse, which is probably what they are using in the movie. While the Mustang is part of the foundation stock of the Americna Quarter Horse, they are not the same - and I agree a Quarter Horse beating a Arabien in a long distance race may seem far fetched - but with the distances they are talking in the movie nothing is truely far fetched. A smart rider with a horse in good shape stands a chance as well as any other rider and horse. And if you are talking about the Amercian Quarter Horse - no other horse can touch him for a dead sprint - after all that's how he got his name.

Just a couple of points to think about

Klyssia

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Paint is a color breed formed originally from the white cropping out of Quarter horses (Throw back to mustang era-though in by gone eras indian ponies were known as paints) Pinto's are a color and can contain crosses of any breed including arab.
Well I know one group of 4-her's that are going to see it.Since one of mine has a "paint" that looks just like Hildalgo :<)

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Hidalgo Is based on a true story...

<a href="http://www.frankhopkins.com/">; Frank Hopkins.com </a>

From the above site...

"According to the U.S. Remount Service Journal of 1936, he competed in and won over 400 long-distance races, including a legendary 3,000-mile endurance ride across the Arabian Desert in 1890 on his mustang stallion, Hidalgo."

I'm not trying to be a snot at all... Just hope i helped in informing you. I think it makes the movie even better knowing it was an actual event and did have the same conclusion that you don't think is so realistic

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I'm sorry to break your bubble swebster, however, Hidalgo is NOT a true story. Hidalgo was based on the lies of Frank Hopkins.

"He was a counterfeit cowboy and gifted spinner of Old West yarns who lived in the industrial East and worked as a subway tunnel digger, harbor diver and circus horse handler. Disney may tout "Hidalgo" as "based on a true story," but, according to a headstrong posse of fact-finders, the only thing Hopkins ever galloped across was the vast plains of his imagination.
"Long Trail of Lies" - The Los Angeles Times

Check out the American Long Riders' Guild page "The Hopkins Hoax".
http://www.thelongridersguild.com/hopkins.htm

If you want to point people to FrankHopkins.com as a reliable unbiased source of Hopkins facts you might want to rethink that considering the website was created by Disney. They wouldn't exactly be unbiased now would they?

A sideline: As for whether or not a mustang could beat a pure-blooded Arabian in a desert race I have my doubts but stranger things have happened.

Have a nice day.

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