They Ride Horses, Don't They? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pilgrim

This 1998 film starred Robert Redford and Scarlett Johansson. Redford plays Tom Booker, the titular horse whisperer, who is asked to help a teenage girl (Johansson) and her horse, named Pilgrim, who have been involved in a serious accident. The girl has been left with a life changing injury while the horse is traumatised. The horse whisperer is employed to heal the horse as the girl's mother is convinced this will also heal her daughter.

The film was based on a book by Nicholas Evans, published in 1995, and was a box office success.

Answer: Ginger

The novel was published in 1877 and became the only book written by Anna Sewell, who died only a few months later. It is written from the point of view of Black Beauty, a horse, from his early days on a farm and more difficult times when he is sold to a series of different owners. Having been used for pulling cabs and working for a merchant, Black Beauty is rescued by three women who allow him to live in comfort for his remaining days.

Ginger is one of the other horses Black Beauty comes across in his life, met at his second home but sold when their owner leaves the country. Ginger and Black Beauty meet up again in London where both are working pulling cabs, and Beauty recognises her body being taken away on a cart soon after.

Sewell's purpose in writing the novel was to expose the ill treatment of horses and the novel has remained popular ever since. It has been filmed on numerous occasions.

Answer: Old Grey Mare

The grey mare features in a traditional English folk song first recorded in print in the late nineteenth century. The lyrics describe a reluctant horse owner, Tom Pearce, being persuaded to allow a group of men to borrow the mare to take them to Widecombe Fair. The list of names is long, including Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer and others, not to mention Old Uncle Tom Cobley. The burden proves too much for the poor horse who makes her will before dying. She gets her revenge, according to the song, by returning as a ghost along with the culprits.

The song has been recorded by singers as diverse as Burl Ives and The Nashville Teens.

Answer: Champion

The television series saw Autry on the small screen having already made his name on the radio and in films as a cowboy. His horse, Champion, was as famous as Gene and even had his own spin-off series, called 'The Adventures of Champion' in the USA and 'Champion, the Wonder Horse' in the UK. The title song was one of many 'western' related songs recorded by Frankie Laine.

The Gene Autry show ran from 1950 until 1956 with the title song of 'Back in the Saddle Again' performed by Autry himself.

Answer: Blossom

Blossom was one of the first set of toys, referred to as First Generation (G1) ponies. First issued in 1981 by the toy company Hasbro, the ponies came with bodies and manes of different colours. Blossom had a pale lavender coloured body, with a pattern of white flowers and a purple mane and tail. Other ponies in the earliest series were called Butterscotch, Blue Belle, Minty, Cotton Candy and Snuzzle.

The toys became popular with several later series issued. Television also cashed in on the craze with shows running from 1986 and still ongoing at the time of writing (2022).

Answer: Tornado

The character of Zorro first appeared in a magazine called 'All-Story Weekly' in 1919 as a serialisation of a novel called 'The Curse of Capistrano' written by Johnston McCulley. The publication was one of many dubbed 'pulp fiction', referring to the cheap paper on which they were printed, which also brought authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs and Zane Grey to public attention.

Zorro was depicted as a masked vigilante, who defended the ordinary people of California against corrupt officials. His name, meaning fox, was a recognition of his ability to outwit his adversaries. His skill with a rapier, used to sign the letter 'Z', and as a horseman on his black stallion, Tornado, allowed him to escape capture. Zorro himself dressed all in black, so the he and Tornado blended into the night when many of their exploits took place. Zorro's opponents are, of course, inept.

As with many of the characters, human and equine, in the quiz, Zorro and Tornado have appeared regularly on the big and small screen over the years.

Answer: Trigger

This Benny Hill song from 1971 told the tragic story of a love triangle between a milkman called Ernie, a bread delivery man named Ted and Sue, the woman desired by both men. Although a novelty song, and a parody of western style shoot-outs, the song reached the top of the UK Singles Chart. Of course, no guns were involved (this is the UK, after all) and Ernie met his demise when a rock bun hit his chest and stopped his heart. This leaves the field clear for Ted and Sue to marry, but is that Ernie's ghost they hear on their wedding night?

Trigger comes into the song as the horse who pulls Ernie's milk cart. Ted is infuriated to see the horse and cart outside Sue's house for several hours and takes out his frustrations on the horse by kicking it. Someone should have rung the RSPCA.

Another famous Trigger is the horse ridden by Roy Rogers in numerous films, which is presumably the inspiration for the name in the song.

Answer: Thunder

'Red Ryder' was a comic strip which ran in America between 1938 and 1965. The character of Red Ryder was a cowboy in the 1890s who took time to deal with the villains, usually assisted by his native American sidekick, Little Beaver. Red Ryder rode a 'trusty steed' (aren't they all?) named Thunder while Little Beaver's horse was called Papoose.

The comic strip spawned radio, television and film series and is also remembered as being a pioneer of marketing. Consumers were tempted to buy all kinds of Red Ryder branded merchandise from clothing to toys, something which has become commonplace with any successful film or television series.

Answer: Rocinante

Dating from the early part of the seventeenth century, the novel in which Don Quixote and Rocinante appear was written by Miguel Cervantes. The full title is 'The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha', although the original title was in Spanish. The story tells of the adventures of the title character and his servant Sancho Panza, who rides a donkey named Dapple. Don Quixote, as a nobleman, has a horse, given the name Rocinante by his owner after much thought. Rocinante is commemorated by a statue in Madrid.

The name of Don Quixote has given us the word 'quixotic' to describe someone impractical and something of a dreamer. His story also inspired a musical, named 'Man of La Mancha'.

Answer: The Pie

Based on a novel by Edith Bagnold, published in 1935, the 1944 film film starred a very young Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney and Angela Lansbury. The plot involved a young English girl, Velvet Brown, who wins a horse in a raffle and decides to train him to run in the Grand National - a race over fences which takes place each spring. The horse is duly entered, with Velvet deciding to ride him herself when she loses faith in the chosen jockey. The pair finish first but are disqualified when Velvet falls off before reaching the unsaddling enclosure.

The horse in the book was a piebald, so was nicknamed 'The Pie', but in the film the name is said to be short for 'Pirate'. It took a long time for real life to catch up with the film, but Rachael Blackmore eventually emulated Velvet when she was the winning jockey in the 2021 Grand National on 'Minella Times'.