If you’ve always thought your horse looked a lot like racing great Secretariat, here’s your chance to find out if he makes the grade. He doesn’t even need to be fast.
Walt Disney Pictures is shooting the movie Secretariat later this year and the producer of the film, Mayhem Pictures is conducting an online “casting call” looking for horses to portray the legendary stallion.
According to a press release, interested horse owners may email photographs of their equine, big-screen hopeful to casting@secretariat.com. Applicants also must complete an online Secretariat casting form at http://www.secretariat.com, where additional information about the casting call can also be found.
All photographs will be personally reviewed by the lead wrangler for Secretariat, Rusty Hendrickson, who was in charge of horse selection for such recent major motion pictures as Seabiscuit and Dreamer.
“The three main qualities I’m looking for in a horse to portray Secretariat are looks, temperament, and soundness,” Hendrickson said. “A big flashy chestnut would obviously have an inherent advantage, but I’m going to need at least two main Secretariats and perhaps four stand-ins. I know that he was one of a kind, but we’ll do the best we can.
“A calm temperament is particularly key, especially when multiple takes are involved. But applicants need not feel that they must have an identical-looking horse to be considered. We can do wonders with equine makeup for the white facial markings and the three white socks.
“Our horses need to be sound — but racing experience is not a necessity. And Secretariat’s short back and round hip are somewhat reminiscent of American Quarter Horses, so owners of that breed should also feel free to make submissions.”
I’ve looked at Freedom from every angle but sadly, other than being a chestnut Thoroughbred who raced, he doesn’t look much like Secretariat.
For everyone who has forgotten what a Triple Crown Winner looks like, here are Secretariat’s Triple Crown races:
I remember watching Secretariat in the Belmont ( I watched all his races that year) and to this day I this that was the most incredible performance a horse has ever done. I wasn’t around when Man’O War ran, but I hear he was about as impressive.
being that Disney is making this movie I hope it portrays this wonderful truly awesome animal for what he really did no horse has ever done this so impressively as secretariat I watched all of his triple crown races and that horse did an unbelievable feat with total ease Ron T the rider of secretariat must have no words for how he felt riding such an awesome animal thank god he was able to exp that animals greatness esp since he has had to suffer the injury that put him in his chair no one else can have that only him . please make this movie with all the greatness and class this horse gave our Industry I have trained race horses for 35 yrs my father was also a trainer and its a pleasure to see such wonderful portrayals of these great animals which have been overshadowed by bad press drugs and such it is a great sport but just like any other sport a few bad people take away from it by not having the integrity to take the best intrest of the horse to heart .most of these great horses love to run but its up to us as horseman and women to make the right decisions during and after thier racing careers. anytime you have sports you have accidents 99% of the horsemen aren’t any different than the patrons it upsets them to see anything happen to horse or rider lets face it we live with these animals on a daily basis they’re OUR family just like anything else there are good n bad in this business but majority of these horses are fed and cared for better than most peoples kids they get the best but it comes down to good horsemanship knowing when to quit or when to back off and re evaluate a horses health and soundness . I was very disgusted with the Ruffian movie It was a bad portrayal of a gallant racemare and her connections made everyone in our racing Ind look really bad and its not like that that was another site I watched on tv I was sitting in the tack room at hollywood park working with my father’s horses at the time I’ll never forget the feeling I had that moment when she got hurt and we all as horsemen were sick she was great in her own rite! it was a very quiet backside of hollywood park everyone felt that tragety the racetrack is a world of its own and we compete and have to live as a family right along with it . I love this Industry and know for a fact there are the greatest people and animals in it that you’ll ever come in contact with and I truely Hope you show this in your movie of SECRETARIAT !!!