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Is it just me or is there a distinct lack of them? Would love to be able to watch some in-depth documentaries about the sport involving trainer interviews and footage of the horses training and at the races. I think ATR have one on youtube where they follow an English trainer with a few of his young’uns as they have their debuts (can’t remember which trainer it was), you get to see them train and then go to the tracks for their first races – was a very interesting watch and would only be added to if it involved the likes of Nichols/Henderson/Mullins at the big festivals! Another way of doing it oould be to follow a jockey as he goes through the season, think it’d give outsiders a bit of insight as to the struggles these sportsmen/women go through.
I know there was one on the O’Briens in America but there needs to be more! Or is there simply not the market for a potential filmmaker to invest their time/money in?
Made a documentary in college a few years back and spent a bit of time editing film/producing videos for MMA athletes as part of their ‘highlights-reels’ so wouldn’t mind giving the project a go myself!
There was one a few years ago that followed, week by week the Jessie Harrington horses on the run up to Cheltenham [for some reason I missed the whole series]. And the one about Joncol’s trainer [that caused a bit of controversy because of all the swearing in it]. You’d think that Clare Baldings production company might make a few, to compensate for the amount of time she doesn’t spend fronting Ch4 Racing. And, of course, the Dream Alliance film is going to be televised next year. Has anyone got a link to the Jessie Harrington one?
This was made as a sort of update to Patrick Smithwick’s book, but Racing My Father: The Latter Years is wonderful on its own too. Smithwick was/is a timber trainer and rider from a legendary family of horsemen.
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3wbdCbKb6E
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W01RlkYKxZ8
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88GQVRoSy88
Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGEHOs0dbSAThere are a LOT of good American racing docs, actually. Back when ESPN used to cover horse racing they made a bunch of them. Some are in parts on Youtube.:
Jewels of the Triple Crown – a classic narrated by the great Maryland sportscaster Jim McKay http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFtK-UuKyRU
Whirlaway (ESPN Films) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_50pQR3AYv8
Citation (ESPN Sportscentury) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1803k520Mi0
Northern Dancer (Life & Times – Biography Channel) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2FrZY4mjL4
Secretariat – The Life & Times of An American Racing Legend (ESPN Films, from the 1980s) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agfEJZhEMyI
Secretariat (ESPN Sportscentury, more recent) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhfi6zOLdK4
Seattle Slew (ESPN Sportscentury) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwOImSrzmCg
Affirmed & Alydar (ESPN Sportscentury) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXpwf4O-Y6k
Nice Guys Finish First (about Bill Shoemaker) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax1P5DkjPwA
Charismatic (ESPN 30 for 30) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_yuKTj61Q
Barbaro: A Nation’s Horse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYkF046ERtU
A Cloudy’s Knight’s Tale (to make you feel better after watching the Charismatic and Barbaro documentaries
) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj54fTOc8HAIsn’t there a good one about Seabisuit as well [thought I’d seen one once]?
There are at least 3 Seabiscuit documentaries. The one you’re thinking of isn’t on the Internet to my knowledge. There’s also ones from PBS American Experience and of course ESPN Sportscentury, both are fairly short though.
There was one a few years ago that followed, week by week the Jessie Harrington horses on the run up to Cheltenham [for some reason I missed the whole series]. And the one about Joncol’s trainer [that caused a bit of controversy because of all the swearing in it]. You’d think that Clare Baldings production company might make a few, to compensate for the amount of time she doesn’t spend fronting Ch4 Racing. And, of course, the Dream Alliance film is going to be televised next year. Has anyone got a link to the Jessie Harrington one?
The one about Paul Nolan was very good, cursing and all
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