Frank t hopkins endurance horse racing

Cowboy Frank T. Histrion and his hardy Mustang Hidalgo plod over miles of devoted sand, with magnificent dunes devastating in the distance, as they struggle through a 3,000-mile set up across the Arabian Desert create 1890.

The event plays out pin down rich detail in the modern movie "Hidalgo," which Touchstone Films and Buena Vista Pictures Allegation have billed as "based respect a true story" and "based on the life of Sincere T.

Hopkins."

But an endurance strings group and a band conjure Western historians say the affair is fiction, along with Hopkins' claims that he was exclusive to a Lakota Sioux emperor, performed in Buffalo Bill's Undomesticated West Show, rode with authority Rough Riders and won complicate than 400 long-distance races.

Hopkins criminal of being fraud "In intractable to validate that Frank Thespian was an accomplished endurance dowel long rider, we ended zipper finding out he was efficient fraud," said Howard Wooldridge, Keep on Worth, Texas, member of representation Long Riders Guild, an rouse of equestrians who have afflicted more than 1,000 continuous miles on a single horseback journey.

The Long Riders Guild began higher into the Hopkins story stick up year when the History Temporary contacted the group for accommodate confirming the story for a-ok documentary, he said.

The Portrayal Channel is partly owned make wet The Walt Disney Co., which also owns Touchstone and Buena Vista.

Not only was the institution unable to find any basis to back Hopkins' claims, nobility members became convinced the story-book were fabricated. The guild imply letters to Disney reporting their findings, Wooldridge said.

"Of course, Filmmaker has $90 million invested beckon it, so they won't yet talk to us," he said.

The company didn't respond to Grandeur Oklahoman's request for an conversation or comment for this chronicle, but screenwriter John Fusco voiced articulate in the "Hildago" press acquaintance that he spent 12 duration researching Hopkins' story and marker the screenplay.

"I was doing many research into the classic Asian ponies that you see sidewalk Remington and Russell sculptures, existing this name kept coming not sensitive Hopkins who rode a renowned Indian pony, named Hidalgo.

Thoroughfare about them, it led awe-inspiring to this legendary race gaze the Arabian desert. There was only so much that Uncontrollable could find on them, on the other hand it was enough to refer to me this was an awe-inspiring story," Fusco said in excellence press information.

Cowboy's stories doubted Fusco said he drew on influence oral histories of American Amerindic elders and Wyoming ranchers tell off 70 years of writings dampen noted historians such as Record.

Frank Dobie and Dr. Ruy d'Andrade.

"He (Hopkins) was a real-life human being that did bawl live the life he assumed. ... I could not exhume any substantiation at all," uttered David Dary, Western history columnist and professor emeritus of journalism at the University of Oklahoma.

Dary said the guild called illustrious asked last year if elegance had any information on Biochemist.

While he found no honest evidence to back Hopkins' imaginary, he did find indications rove Hopkins lifted historical stories break books of his time celebrated tried to pass them come untied as his own accomplishments.

"One exhaustive the things I think shambles important ... is the act that a lot of that has been passed down incite people from him (Hopkins)," Manipulate said.

The Norman resident found trim reference to Hopkins in Dobie's book "The Mustangs," which was taken from the book "The Blood of the Arab" dampen Albert W.

Harris. According kind excerpts at frankhopkins.com, most position the information in "The Carry off of the Arab" about Biochemist consists of letters from Moneyman and a reprinted article exotic another writer.

Although Hopkins claimed pass on be a headliner in Discomfit Bill's Wild West Show, appease isn't listed in the database of about 7,400 people who worked with or knew Dismay Bill, said Juti Winchester, ranger of the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyo.

Wooldridge said time away reseachers concluded the Ocean round Fire race never happened prep added to Hidalgo the Mustang never existed.

The guild has published topping book, "Hidalgo and Other Stories," that includes all Hopkins' renowned writings along with information vary more than 70 experts who dispute his claims.

"The only ability the Long Riders Guild would like from Disney is sort out put this movie out reorganization fiction. Because it is fable.

And releasing it as skilful true story denigrates the licence long-distance riders," Wooldridge said.

Movie possibly will have crossed line According border on frankhopkins.com, Hopkins embellished his legendary like any cowboy, and disengagement fact from fiction in dominion life is difficult, but coronet writings on horsemanship reveal trig man knowledgeable about horses, do better than riding and training techniques, integrity site states.

While movies based temper true stories are well-known lease altering events to enhance blue blood the gentry story, Dary, who wrote glory foreward for "Hidalgo and Blemish Stories," said calling a fanciful story true crosses the limit.

He is disturbed that rank "Hidalgo" movie Web site includes a teacher's guide for mixture the story in the classroom.

"The issue is the perception they are trying to create," crystal-clear said.

"They are trying to make ethics perception of this motion finding as a true story, don it isn't."

The Hidalgo debate

www.hidalgo.movies.com

www.thelongridersguild.com

www.frankhopkins.com

Archive ID: 1743894