DARK HORSE
By: John ‘Doc’ Strange
Dark Horse is a documentary about the people from a village in Wales who decided to buck the norm. Jan Vokes, a barmaid and cleaner at the local store, decided that if the rich folks could breed a winner, so could she. Needless to say her family and friends thought she was a bit daft! But they also knew that what she put her mind to she could usually accomplish.
The Vokes (Jan and Brian) explain how they came up with the idea and talked the various participants in this endeavor into going along for the wild ride. They looked at how much it would take to buy a broodmare and get stud service followed by raising and training. To cover the costs they convinced their neighbors to cough up 10 pounds per month each.
The story tells us how they found the mare who would eventually foal Dream Alliance, a horse who would go on to be a true contender. Horse races in the U.K. are not like those at Churchill Downs or Pimlico. Their races are in the steeplechase format where the horses have hurdles and water to cross several times during the race. Their race horses have to be more than just sprinters, they have to be jumpers.
Dream Alliance showed the world that large amounts of money were not guarantees that a horse will be a champion. Dream Alliance wowed the racing world by qualifying for the Welsh Grand National race and WINNING!
This story is about so much more than just the horse and his races. It’s about the Welsh mining town whose citizens formed the syndicate that made it possible for Dream Alliance to race for them. He was truly a working man’s horse.
Dark Horse has all the elements that make a great story. It has the people and the wit and wisdom that give us as each regales us with their part of the story. Director Louise Osmond uses a lot of old footage of the races mixed with more modern video of some of the same events. She brings us into the homes and haunts (i.e. bars/pubs) of the people who lived the story. Their stories are humorous and endearing.
That humor was to get them through a very tough time for their beloved horse. Their faith in Dream Alliance was supreme. Their love was also in evidence as they find a way to heal their horse when he is hurt during a race. That the horse the vets wanted to put down could run another race was truly a story worthy of this film.
I loved with film. I loved the quirky characters that made up the syndicate. I frankly loved the heart of Dream Alliance. This is a documentary that will please all audiences. Even if you dislike documentaries, you will love this story/film. It is playing an exclusive run at Angelika Film Center & Café – Dallas. Go check it out.
Directed by: Louise Osmond
Cast: Jan Vokes, Brian Vokes, Howard Davies, Angela Davies, Tony Kerby, Maureen Jones
MPAA Rating: PG (for some mild thematic elements and language)
Selig Rating: Full Price
Runtime: 85 Min.
Movie Site: http://sonyclassics.com/darkhorse/
The Selig Rating Scale:
FULL PRICE – Excellent movie, well worth the price
MATINEE – Good movie
DOLLAR – OK movie
CABLE – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
FREEBIE – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn't paid for it.
COMMERCIAL TV – Commercials and cutting to the allotted time will not hurt this one.
FORGET IT! – Bad. If you see this one, do yourself a favor and keep it to yourself.
GET YOUR TORCHES – BAD! – Burn the script, the writer, the director and maybe even the actors!
