Famous Black Horses Trivia Quiz

Answer: Black Beauty

The story was written in the last few years of Sewell's life when she was invalided in her house, and survived only five months after it was published. She had injured her ankles as a child and couldn't stand for any length of time and thus was used to travelling by horse-pulled carriages which is where she observed and learnt about the welfare of horses.

The intention of the book was to readdress the public's attention towards working horses and to treat them with respect and compassion. It was written from an autobiographical viewpoint of the horse itself from his early days spent on a farm to life in London pulling cabs. The book is linked heavily with the start of the animal welfare movement in the UK.

Answer: Lloyds Bank

The black horse was first used by Humphrey Stokes back in 1677 when he used it for his shop sign as a goldsmith, as well as being a "keeper of the cashes" which was an early term for banker. When Lloyds took over his site, it retained the black horse as its symbol.

The modern use of a black horse in their television advertising started in the 1980s which sees an unbridled, and riderless horse running across an empty beach. There were two horses which were used, both black Trakehner stallions, called 'Beatos' followed by 'Downlands Cancara'

Answer: Ferrari

The 'Cavallino Rampante' as the logo is better known as ("prancing horse"), is depicted as a black stallion on a yellow shield. Enzo Ferrari got the idea for the logo when he met up with the Countess Paolina after winning a race at the Savio racetrack in June 1923.

She was the mother of the famous Italian air pilot called Count Francesco Baracca who had decorated the sides of his planes with the picture of a horse in red, on a background of a white cloud. The logo was altered to a black horse after the pilot lost his life in battle, and Ferrari decided the keep the horse black from this time. The background colour of canary-yellow is representative of Ferrari's home town of Modena.

Answer: Danny Boy

The nine children's books were written by Ferguson and first published in 1949 and details the life of Jill Crewe, who with her mother, move into the fictional village of Chatton after the death of her father, and takes the reader through her journey from horsing novice to eventual success in becoming a skilled rider.

The two ponies she eventually owned were Blackboy and Rapide. Reprints in the 1960s changed the name of 'Blackboy' to 'Danny Boy' but this only appeared in one book, although Dorling Kindersley published "Classic Horse and Pony stories" in 1999, which shows an extract taken from "Jill's Gymkhana" where the name was again shown as 'Danny Boy'. One well known fan of the series was the Queen Mother who invited the author to Buckingham Palace for dinner after having enjoyed the books immensely.

Answer: True Grit

The horse portraying Little Blackie in the 1969 version (which saw John Wayne being awarded an Oscar for his performance) is a black pinto with both a blaze and white socks, and in the 2010 version by a black quarter horse named Cimarron. The scene where the horse dies differs between the two movie versions.

The earlier sees the horse carrying both Cogburn and Mattie when the horse's legs fall out from under him, and dies in mid-stride, whilst the latter version sees the horse run until he can go no further and falls downs exhausted. Cogburn then puts him out of his misery by shooting him. John Wayne died on 11th June 1979, exactly ten years after the 1969 film was released (June 11 1969).

Answer: Blackjack

Blackjack is a pure black Pegasus who pledges eternal assistance to Percy Jackson after he is rescued by him from a titan named Kronos in his army ship, the 'Princess Andromeda'. He communicates telepathically with Percy and often visits him, along with other Pegasi, when either they or other creatures are in need of help. He appears to willingly serve only Percy, preferring to call him "Boss", and is prepared to run himself into the ground before admitting to being tired (and considers himself to be Percy's friend). His other best friends are Guido and Porkpie who are both Pegasi.

Answer: Burmese

The horse was born in 1962 at Fort Walsh, Saskatchewan in Canada, and was presented to the Queen when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police came over to partake in the Royal Windsor Horse Show. 'Burmese' was ridden by the Queen in eighteen consecutive Trooping the Colours from 1969 to 1986 after which the horse retired to a park at Windsor Castle where she lived the rest of her years until her death in 1990. After the horse's retirement, the Queen decided she would journey in a carriage instead of training a new horse.

Centenial was a gift celebrating the Royal Canadian Mounted Police force's 100th anniversary in 1973, with Saint James being gifted in 1998 for their 125th anniversary. Golden Jubilee was the Queen's gift to the RCMP in 2002 to commemorate her golden jubilee appropriately.

Answer: Dick Turpin

Dick Turpin was born in London in September 1705, and was hanged only 34 years later, and is perhaps the most famous highwayman in England. However, his notoriety is much to do with the author Harrison Ainsworth who wrote "Rookwood" in 1834. The book was classified as a Newgate Novel being one which sensationalized the life of famous criminals and the inclusion of Dick Turpin, despite being only a secondary character, depicted him as more lively than any of the others. The infamous escape from London to York with Black Bess is included in the book and along with other snippets created new exploits and made Turpin into a likeable person.

Black Bess was described by Ainsworth: "She was built more for strength than beauty, and yet she was beautiful. Look at that elegant little head; those thin tapering ears, closely placed together; that broad snorting nostril, which seems to snuff the gale with disdain; that eye, glowing and large as the diamond of Giamschid! Is she not beautiful? Behold her paces! How gracefully she moves! She is off! no eagle on the wing could skim the air more swiftly."

Answer: Khan

Khan (meaning 'prince', 'king' or leader') is owned by Mulan although it is not known how long she has had him, and he is the third horse to be owned by a Disney princess after Major (Cinderella) and Philippe (Beauty and the Beast). Khan shows his humour by falling about with laughter when asked by Mulan if her voice and personality impression is up to scratch, and visibly shows his dislike for Mushu after he attempts to get Khan to go into battle to become a war hero.

Answer: Alexander the Great

The name Bucephalus means 'ox-head' and the horse is described has having a blue eye, and that he was descended of the 'best Thessalian strain', although it is not too certain if the horse's head was shaped like an ox or if there was figure of a bull's head on its shoulder.

It is said that the horse would allow no other person to ride him when it had the royal trappings placed on him, and it is known that once, when Bucephalus was injured in the attack against Thebes, it would not allow Alexander to ride another mount. The horse was so well loved by Alexander that when the horse died in 326 B.C., he built a city around the horse's tomb and named the city after him.