Amira played for television, in fact she was the first horse to play for History Secret (a french TV show about history figures)... so Excalibur has to do it too, right?
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We got at Digoine Castle, the same place than in 2017, early - to be sure to have the time accomodate Excalibur to the place. He was a bit wonderin' what happened but really cool.
There was an historic saddle and saddle pad waiting for him... so we tacked him up! Not somethin' you see everyday right!
Doesn't he looks georgeous as a cavalry horse?
Then my friend Sabrina, who is the most experienced rider of us took him for a walk, to show him cameras and decor. It's somethin' we barely did with Amira, because she's always has been such a reliable horse in every possible situation. But Excalibur is more sensitive and easy to fright.
So now, you want to know... wich horse is Excalibur playing?
Well his first role was about beeing the horse of Toussaint Louverture (1797–1801), a Haitian general and the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution.
But could Toussaint Louverture have got a spotted horse? Then answer is... yes, why not?
Spotted horses where definely a thing during the 18th century...
They are definely some depiction of some spotted horse in the 19th century years european painting, let's see one by Juliusz Kossak (1824-1899)
I've already written about that, but yes, France got lots of spotted horse the century before, even if they could have been in decline in the time Toussaint Louverture and Napoleon got their war.
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| ("Vénerie, Louis XV et son équipage" by Eugène Leliepvre) |
In any case, I can totally picture it. And the producer was happy about the colour... he said that Excalibur was the perfect fit!
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| ("PO POLOWANIU, 1879" by Juliusz Kossak) |
The real question is, where they spotted horse in Haiti? And I must admit that I didn't know for sure, but assuming most of them came from France or other EU countries, probably yes.
Also let's face the fact that Napoleon Bonaparte himself got pictured with what could appear to be a paint horse color... even if that painting also depict that horse as beeing plain white depending on the version of it.
And that I found this picture of a horse that looks like to be a pintaloosa labelled "Alpine Horse, 1860 (colour litho)" in my files.
So in any case, let's compare... our duo
With an historic painting!
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(French School, circa 1800 -"Portrait of François Dominique Toussaint Louverture in uniform, mounted on his horse") |
In the end, my pony played well, he was a bit nervous and the actor was probably riding for the first time so it was challenging. But with a bit of our help, all came fine.
I am proud of Excalibur and really glad to have been able to puts more spotted horses into history!
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| ("An Allegory of A Young Horseman firing a pistol at a statue of an old man" by Gaetano Gandolfi (1734 – 1802) | ) |
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| ("Lagerszene an einem Fluss" by Jan Frans van Bredael (1686 – 1750) ) |
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| (" A Hawkin Party" by Carel van Falens (1683 –1733) ) |
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| (Painting by Jozef Brandt (1841-1915) ) |
And if Amira got the first page of the local journal, Excalibur did got his picture in the TV program magazine!
Also, can we resist this comparizon? No we can't...
edit. PART FOUR
And of course, I got a few Castle pictures!
