The Man From Snowy River

The Man From Snowy River

I was about 13 when my father took me to see this movie for the first time. He spoke about how it had one of the best horse back riding scenes in it that he had ever seen. Boy was he right!

I grew up as a weekend rancher girl, had my own horse and rode rather well... I think was on a horse alone starting when I was about 5.

This is nothing in my family, my father is often recalled as the boy who rode his horse to school... which conjures up images that are erroneous. He rode his horse to school in a city, tied it up in a near-by park, and he apparently did this in high school. My father's people love horses...

My mother rode horses too, she was good and as a matter of fact I think I realized I had a really cool mom when she took me to a trick riding class she took and I got to see her ride a horse in all sorts of fabulous ways.

Needless to say, I love horses. I always have... I always will. And am rather proud I still have a good seat even though I rarely get to ride them.

So, when my father took me to this movie... I was caught up in the cheesy love story... remember I was 13... until one point... when the lead character rides down a rather steep mountain side. I got chills watching that 30 second or so scene. I know what it is like to ride a horse both up and down hills and mountain sides.. the steeper they are the more concentration is required. It can be tough. I rode my horses on the Andean mountains... I get those steep hills.

But in that scene, the lead character just takes his horse bounding down the side of the mountain, he stays seated, leaning back, hand gripping the reigns... and my breath stopped then... and stops each and every time I see it. It is probably one of the most magnificent scenes of horsemanship I have ever seen, and as such, the movie remains a favourite to this day.. for that 30 or so second scene.

Here is a link to that scene... key in at about 2:20 if you haven't seen it before.. and give it about 40 seconds and go full screen.