It's been said that there are hundreds,
if not thousands of wild mustangs roaming the western United States,
living symbols of the West and its pioneer spirit.
The American mustang in particular
is a beautiful, natural, and, to me, mysterious creature.
In recent years, though,
the most talked about, most interesting, most intriguing
were the stories of the wild Black Stallion.
Some said he was the direct descendant of the Arabians
the Conquistadors had brought to the New World.
Others insisted he was a ghost horse that no one could see or hear
but always came to raid local herds for the mares
and then lead them away in the night.
I believe he was really Dark Cloud,
the legendary Derby winner that disappeared
when the Union Pacific Flyer derailed in eastern Nevada.
Whoever he was really,
The Great Horse was just The Wild Stallion to us.
In the summer I learned the truth about him,
I also learned the truth about a lot of things, including me.
I lived in Cleveland, Ohio with my dad.
We'd been on our own since Mama died.
I know losing her was hard on me,
but what I didn't realize then was how hard it had been for him.
Yeah, taking pictures is all I have to do.
Why can't you stay with me?
I wasn't invited. You were.
Besides, there's horses, swimming, hiking...
There's a million things to do. You'll like Matty, too.
Just because she's your old girlfriend?
That's ancient history, pumpkin. That was 25 years ago.
Listen, she did say that there was a girl your age... built-in friend.
Oh, great. A built-in friend from Nowhere, Nevada.
Nowhere, Utah.
She'll probably think I'm a stuck-up city slicker.
Well, you'll just have to prove her wrong, won't you?
Yeah.
- Ready? - Yeah.
It seemed to me that all he ever did was work,
and I know now that was because it was the only way
he could keep his mind off losing her.
I don't blame him. He didn't know what else to do.
And if I'd been him, I wouldn't either.
One of the best things Mama gave me was the love of photography.
She's the one who first told me about the wild horses out West,
and more than anything, I wanted to capture them on film.
I thought it would never happen, but after...
... well, when Mama was gone, Dad finally said he'd take me.
This is the Nebo Mountain Range,
part timber, part sagebrush, and all wild-horse country.
And right in the middle of it is the Bear Mountain Ranch,
and that's where I was going to spend the next month.
That's C.J.
She was always riding.
She belonged to the local rodeo club,
and I'm pretty sure she'd never even visited a big city before.
If you would have told me the first day
that she would become my best friend,
I would have said you were crazy.
That's Alvin Niedermeyer.
He was the ranch's cook.
Those two were brothers, Dallas and Ty Brody.
Look at them strawberries.
I'm the strawberry fairy.
- Can we have some? - No.
Why don't you go and find something to mulch?
That was also the day Matty told CJ I was coming.
Hard to believe she and my dad were... well, liked each other.
Hi, Matty.
- Kyle said you called. - I did. I need your help.
- What for? - Not what... who.
Who?
A girl about your age. Her name is Hannah Mills.
What about her?
Well, she's coming here for part of the summer.
- I need you to look after her. - Me? Why?
City girl.
She's coming here to take photographs
for a project or something.
Her father's an old college friend of mine.
Going out of the country on business, asked me to look after her for awhile.
- I said you would. - But I got stuff I need to do.
I already checked with your folks before they left.
Your mom said it was fine.
Get your mitts out of the strawberries.
Grandma tree don't fork, does it?
Oh, this from the man who gets his hair cut at Tupperware parties.
City girl's not gonna know her way around here.
I need you to be friends with her.
Seeing as it's kind of a job, I'll pay you for it.
How much?
Depends on the job you do.
But I'm gonna be working with my ponies for the county fair.
Not full-time. Just during the day.
That is full-time! I sleep at night.
We all do.
...little animals. You're good at that.
All right.
All right, all right, all right, little brother. All right.
Let's just leave Mr. Cranky alone. We're okay. Okay?
Go back to your strawberries.
Hey, CJ!
So, Hardy, when am I gonna see that next load?
Ain't quite sure.
We're doing what we can, but these mustangs are getting sparse.
The ones that ain't caught are getting smarter.
Let me tell you something.
He ain't payin' you for your excuses.
You don't have to tell me more than once.
- Well, anyway... - Thanks.
How much?
- More than last time. - Good.
- That looks real good! - Yeah.
No... That's business.
I spotted another bunch up by Horseshoe.
I want you two boys to go up there in the morning and scope it out.
Why not go now?
Because I said I seen 'em, not that they was there now.
Scope it out in the morning, boys, savvy?
Use your Judas horse, Virg.
Yeah, he'll bring 'em down.
What if somebody else got the same idea?
Well, then you just...
...discourage 'em.
All right. We can do that.
How do you know they're wild?
How do you know they're not?
You know what? I think those are the horses we're showing
at the rodeo show in two weeks.
They are?
- They are. - Then we can ride 'em!
Everybody in town can ride 'em.
You take credit cards?
Take cash.
- You don't take a credit card? - You can read, can't you?
Right.
- There you go. - Nice down payment.
You didn't make that on a computer, though, did you?
No, it's real.
Do you know where the Bear Mountain Ranch is?
- Of course. - How far from here?
Couple hundred miles, far as a crow flies.
Highway 89, right?
Nope.
- Well, the map says... - Well, it don't get you there exactly.
It goes right past it, and keeps going,
but you can get there.
Well, how long will it take to get us to that, uh, little ranch, there?
About four hours, give or take, but there ain't nothing there.
What, the ranch is gone?
Well, I didn't say that. There ain't no cattle no more.
We're not looking for cattle.
Well, then you won't be disappointed, then, will you?
Right.
Well, I'm gonna fill you up here, guys.
You just send 'em on down to us, boy.
Go on!
You figure there's more?
Yeah. He'll bring 'em down.
Nolan's been patrollin' Horseshoe.
Don't mean diddly.
What if he sees us?
You sound like a 5-year-old, Virg.
I want you two to head up to Horseshoe.
I'm gonna track the back side.
Meet me back here in two hours?
Yeah?
Don't make me wait.
Heeyah!
That Morg, he sure has a temper on him, don't he?
He's a dangerous one, just as soon shoot a mustang as catch it.
Oh, he wouldn't do that. That'd cost him too much money.
You ain't knowed him as long as I have.
Morgan Haynes loses his temper, money don't mean squat.
You're pulling my leg.
He pulls out that automatic.45 Colt of his,
you best hide and watch.
I heard about him doin' it.
A couple years back,
he couldn't get 'em to follow his Judas horse.
He spent hours at it, getting madder and madder.
Finally he lost it, went crazy.
Shot six horses, just like that.
Didn't bat an eye, I heard.
Cold as a snake.
Well, that's just plain mean.
Yeah. That's Morg Haynes.
I'm Frank Mills.
My daughter wrote you a letter
about a photography project she wants to do.
Sent it about six weeks ago, more or less.
Oh, the tree hugger.
Excuse me?
You want to take pictures of the mustangs, right?
Uh, yes, well, she did.
I'm trying to get shots of the wild horses in their natural habitat.
Like I said, tree huggers.
Here. Sign this.
Uh, what is it?
It's a form absolving the county of liability.
- It's a standard form. - Right.
- How old are you? - Eleven.
I got socks older than you.
- It's a fairy tale, you know. - What?
- The Black Stallion. - Black Stallion?
Well, that's what you're here to see, isn't it?
Well, I don't know. Is it?
You mean, the famous Black Stallion?
That's what folks think, but it isn't true.
There is no mysterious Black Stallion here.
There's no Black Beauty here.
There's just a bunch of beat-up old cayuses
parading around like wild horses, and that's gospel.
You know a lot about mustangs, do you?
Well, I've read a lot about them.
Cleveland, huh?
- Yes. - That's in Ohio.
I know where Cleveland is.
I'm gonna see some I. D?
Ah, right.
Right.
Where are you looking to take pictures of these mustangs?
- Bear Mountain Ranch. - Hah! Mustang Matty herself.
She's crazy, you know that?
Well... I do know that.
Yeah, she's wound up tighter than an idiot's watch.
- Really? - Yeah.
Well, how far is the ranch?
Ten miles south of here.
- We appreciate your help. - Bye.
I'm all heart, wouldn't you say?
Have a nice ride.
- Did you hear? - Hear what?
About the babysitting.
Oh, you'll do fine.
But I wanted to get closer with the mustangs this summer,
see if... he's there.
Well, now you have someone to do it with.
Yeah, somebody your own age.
You think he's out there, Dallas?
Dallas doesn't think.
Oh, this is coming from a guy who wanted to drop out of high school
because Larry had an opening at The Lube Rack.
That was a good job. Hey, a lot of people wanted that job.
It's true. A lot of people wanted that job.
Most of them, however,
they put bottlecaps on their front doors to look nice.
People like you?
When's this city girl coming?
- Sometime today. - Well?
You want to go look at mustangs up at Starvation,
you better do it before she gets here.
Of course, you'll miss the rodeo club.
I think he's out there.
Maybe he is.
If anybody's gonna see him, it will be you, CJ.
- Take your brother. - Kyle? Why?
In case something happens. Besides, brothers are handy to have around.
No, they aren't.
Well, do it anyway, squirt.
I think you would use a toilet seat as a picture frame.
Your picture, man.
Well...
It's the end of the week. I'm flying my plane down.
So have my car meet me at that podunk airport of yours,
and have them have some bottled water.
I damn near turned into a mummy last time.
I'll meet you at that hayseed BLM office on Main Street.
Could you be on time for just once? Think you could handle that?
The Bear Mountain Ranch.
It isn't the end of the world, but you can see it from here.
It's beautiful.
Matty wasn't at all what I thought she'd be like.
She was a handsome, strong woman, and independent... that's for sure...
Matty?
I was wondering where you were.
I can see that.
But something else you didn't see right off.
She had a good heart.
We, uh, made better time than I thought.
I want you to meet Hannah.
Hi!
I wouldn't have believed it,
but there is something still between them.
I guess you'd call it a spark or something.
Whatever it was, I could feel it, and so could they, I think.
Three weeks with a bunch of people I didn't know?
I couldn't believe he was just dumping me there.
Sure, I wanted to see the wild horses and photograph them,
but not alone.
But... even if they were hicks,
I knew it would be worth it if I got some good shots of the mustangs.
Kind of like giving a present back to Mama.
You get some good pictures, honey.
- Okay. - I'll call you when I get back.
Okay.
Thanks, Matty!
He didn't know what to say, really.
He told me to have a good time, and then he was gone,
just like that.
At the time, I didn't think I would ever forgive him
for leaving me there alone.
They're new.
Haven't seen that many paints before.
Colts, too.
We better head back and see if the slicker is here.
Bet you she won't want to be called "city slicker."
We just won't tell her, then, will we?
Take your hands off the car. I just spent $200 getting it waxed.
Apologies, sir.
We've been tracking a good herd,
so you'll have your fresh horses by the end of the week.
The more the better.
It's none of my business, but how many horses
does Novak Industries need just to test?
You're right. It's none of your business.
Sure, it's just that, uh...
...the Sheriff's been up on the range counting mustangs,
and he's gonna notice if any go missing,
and he might have a mind to do something about it, too.
That's your problem, not mine. That's what I'm paying you for, isn't it?
- Yes, sir. - End of the week.
Don't disappoint me.
I won't.
Ain't gonna do you any good.
How would you know, BB-brain?
Now, is that the same pot that you washed the strawberries in?
Maybe.
You don't know?
You writing a book?
Well, at least I can write.
Look, Matty wants you to set another plate for supper.
Who?
Some new girl coming in to take photographs of wild horses.
Name's, uh... Hannah.
As if I ain't got enough to do.
Oh, phew, what do you do besides cook?
It ain't that good anyways.
Well, you're the one that thinks pork and beans is gourmet food.
I thought you washed on Mondays.
I do, but I don't have enough time to wash and cook.
- You should work longer. - I work 24 hours a day now.
You should work nights.
Those are women's underwear, by the way.
Yeah, well, then they fit... should fit you just fine...
Buggy.
You own all this?
All Stedman land,
from Horseshoe up north down to Starvation in the south.
Best view is here.
Thought you'd like to see it.
- Charlie and I bought a little at a time. - Your husband?
Started out with 200 acres, added parcels as we could afford it.
The price of cattle was better then.
I don't see any cattle.
That's because there aren't any.
Not anymore.
Had to sell off the herd to keep the bank from foreclosing
after Charlie...
You always wear that getup?
Getup?
Your clothes.
- What's wrong with my clothes? - Well, you look like a Fruit Loop.
I think I look okay.
What do you want to do here, exactly?
Photograph the wild horses in their natural habitat.
- You any good? - I think so.
- Let's have a look. - Okay.
You have a good eye.
- Thanks. - But your pictures are lonely.
Lonely?
Solitary.
Empty.
I just take pictures of stuff that interests me.
But none of your subjects are alive.
I have shots of people at home.
Yeah? But these are the ones that you show folks.
I think they're the best.
Have you ever seen a mustang?
No.
- They're hard to get close to. - I have zoom lenses with me.
That's not what I meant.
You have to get to know animals before you take pictures of them.
That takes some doing.
- I'm ready for that. - Is that why you came?
Is that all you're here for?
I want to take the pictures so I can publish them.
Maybe it will make people more aware of the horses' plight out here.
So, you think you know the problems of the mustang, do you?
Well, I know they're dying out, and I want to help save them.
You're gonna save them by taking pictures of them?
It's a start.
I want to photograph the wild horses
and maybe let people know their story before it's lost.
You got sand, girl.
I'll give you that.
What's that mean?
It means I'll help you if you help me.
Help you what?
Save them.
I've spent pretty much my whole life trying to give the horses
a chance at living.
I can't do it alone. I tried, but...
I just want to make a difference here.
Maybe I could help.
We'll see.
I was wondering where you were.
Kyle and I were up at Starvation.
Saw some new mares and colts today.
- How many? - Dozen, maybe.
CJ, this is Hannah. She's here to take pictures.
- Hi. - Hi.
- You're after him, aren't you? - Him?
- She means the Black Stallion. - Is there a Black Stallion?
Not so far.
We don't know.
Maybe I will.
You got about as much chance of seeing that black renegade
as we do of being next year's rodeo queen.
Hope I've got more of a chance than that.
We'll need twice that many a week.
Yes, sir. I know that. I've got to keep a low profile.
The sheriff's been snooping around.
I don't care if you have to crawl on your belly.
If you can't get me the mustangs I need,
then I'll get them from somebody else.
You will have all the wild mustangs you can use
for your drug testing, Mr. Novak, you have my word.
You've got a big mouth, Deputy.
I didn't say what I needed them for, did I? Huh?
No.
No, you didn't.
I'll give you a 50º% bonus for every mustang you can bring me
by the end of this month.
What's this I hear about a Black Stallion?
Oh, it's nothing. Local legend, that's all.
Any truth to it?
Couldn't say.
I'd be interested in that stallion.
Very interested.
Extremely interested.
Understand?
Yeah. Yeah, I do, but... what for, research?
Not research. Resource.
Sizzle, not steak.
Novak Industries needs an icon,
and the mythical Black Stallion would be a good one...
...don't you think?
- Huh? - Yes, sir.
Hannah, there are some things you need to know.
What things?
Out here, we take care of our own...
...people and animals.
I know that.
She means we stand together.
And horses are just like people.
They make families, care for each other, protect each other,
and if something or someone comes in and threatens them,
they face it straight on...
...together.
Okay.
We have been protecting them, CJ's folks and me.
I've always felt the mustangs deserve the same chance I had...
...we've had.
You know, raise a family, care for them,
without being corralled doing it.
- Try to protect them. - What's wrong with that?
Nothing.
Of course, the government feels a bit differently about it than we do.
- How? - They have roundups every so often.
They take the mares and colts.
Matty protects them.
Truth be known,
that's against the law.
Now, I don't hold much for secrets,
never knew one to be kept.
What we're telling you here right now, this is not a secret,
but we don't talk about it much.
You understand?
- I think so. - You figure I'm wrong?
It doesn't matter.
All that matters is what happens to the mustangs.
I'm just here to take some pictures.
Fair enough.
Your daddy did a good job with you.
Show her to her bunk, CJ.
Come on back.
- Can you ride? - Sort of.
Sort of?
I've been horseback riding before.
All people who can't ride a horse call it "horseback riding."
I can ride, and I'm not a city slicker. I'm just from the city.
- I didn't... - You didn't have to.
Sorry.
It's okay.
You want to ride?
You're on!
Are they midgets?
Not midgets. More like teeny babies.
Why do girls always have to call them "babies"?
What would you call them if you just saw them for the first time?
Stupid.
No. That's what they'd call you, not the horses.
So, are they babies?
No.
That one is Ivy. That is Bow. The smallest one is Arrow.
Where did you find them?
My dad found them about a year ago up in the mountains.
They were wild, too.
Wild midget horses?
Yeah, kind of, I guess.
They're like those horses from the old "My Pretty Pony" cartoons, remember?
- Those cartoons sucked. - I liked them.
Well, you would.
They're smart, too.
Come on. I want to show you something.
- What? - What you came for.
- Do you have your camera? - Yeah. Always have it.
- Good. - Where?
- Starvation. - Right.
Cheyenne tribes call it Washitaqua.
It means "horse heavens."
But the mustangs run here, Starvation.
You know a lot about Indians and stuff, huh?
I know a little.
Why do they call it Starvation?
A hundred years ago, rustlers used to bring the livestock they stole here.
One winter, they left them penned up and the animals starved.
- That's awful. - Yeah. The name stuck.
Look!
Whoa. Yeah. They're beautiful.
I got to get some shots. This is what I came for.
You know a lot about cameras, huh?
I know a little.
What kind of camera is that?
It's my dad's, but I use it. It's pretty easy, really.
You don't use digital, huh?
No. I learned to shoot film.
I wish... I mean, I got a little disposable, is all.
Well, I have a small Canon you can use.
- Are you serious? - Sure.
Shoot a roll, and see how you like it.
You're trusting my brother with your camera?
- Why not? - Yeah. Why not?
He's an accident waiting to happen.
- Says you. - Says everybody.
- He'll be careful. Right? - Oh, yeah.
Look!
Haven't seen them before.
I thought you said you saw the wild horses all the time.
Not these. They're new.
- You won't see a stallion. - What's that mean?
Wild horses are family units.
Each family has a stallion and a brood of mares and colts.
This one doesn't have a stallion.
Maybe you just can't see him.
- You gonna take any pictures? - Yeah.
- It's him! - Him?
The Black Stallion!
- You mean...? - He's real!
- The one that escaped from the train? - Yeah.
Oh, I can't believe it!
- I got to get a shot. - Don't spook them!
- Oh, he's beautiful! - He's more than beautiful. He's real!
- Matty won't believe us! - Yes, she will.
Now we have proof.
Oh, Buck. Hey, there you are.
Been up on the Horseshoe counting mustangs.
Yeah? I've been looking for you.
Tried to get you on the two-way, but I couldn't raise you.
Well, I wasn't in my cruiser. I rode my horse this time.
See anything up there?
- No. A few tracks, but no mustangers. - Mm-hmm.
Well, keep patrolling there, but use the truck.
I want you in communication.
This is a big county, and there's only two of us.
I have reports on some riders up there.
I think it's the mustangers trying to trap some horses.
Think it's Matty and her bunch?
No. It's not from Matty's place. It's not Ty or Dallas.
I don't know who it is, but I sure would like to know who it is.
All right. Well, I'll stay on top of that, Sheriff.
Well, you do that, and once in a while
you remember that you work for me, right?
Absolutely. Yeah, sorry, Buck.
Don't be sorry. Be in touch.
Hello?!
Alvin, where's Matty? You go tell her.
- I'll put the horses away. - Okay.
Where's Matty?!
Ain't my job to keep track of her.
But, if it was, she'd be at the, uh...
- Please? - Oh, come on.
...barn, check in there. - Oh, come on! Come on!
- We saw him! - It was amazing!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! One at a time!
- Saw who? - The Black Stallion!
- Say that again? - We saw him, Matty. It was amazing!
The Black Stallion... he's real! Boy, is he real!
- Where? - Starvation.
About a half a dozen mares and colts.
- Are you sure? - I got pictures.
- CJ... you absolutely certain? - Yes.
- You should have seen him, Matty. - He's beautiful! Big, too!
Okay.
Don't say anything.
Don't say anything to anyone. Not a word. You understand?
- Why? - We just can't.
- But we saw him! - I know you did.
But nobody else can know about this. At least, not for now.
Can you develop those pictures by yourself, Hannah?
No. I mean, I could if I had my stuff, but not out here.
Okay, well, you can't get them developed. Not now.
Why? This is what I came for!
Well, sometimes you have to sacrifice what you want for the greater good.
But they're just pictures. Who will see them?
Well, maybe nobody. That's not the point.
If word gets out about this,
mustangers will be all over this range like a bad suit.
- What are mustanger? - Rustlers.
More or less.
They use a Judas horse and range traps to catch the wild ones.
- A Judas what? - Judas horse. It's what they're called.
A horse trained to mingle with the wild mustangs
and lead them into the traps.
Trapped horses are then sold or auctioned off to buyers
and never seen again.
Sometimes they end up as dog food,
sometimes things even worse I don't want to think about.
If you're right and that stallion is out there,
every bootjack, scurvy, low-life one of them will swoop down here after him.
Is he worth that much?
More.
That stallion is the Holy Grail of wild horses,
the last of the wild stallions to join up with them.
He is the legend.
And proof of that
is in your camera.
What's for supper?
You ain't staying, are you?
Maybe.
I don't remember inviting you.
You don't remember your own initials.
Everybody's a comedian around here.
You been a cook long?
Depends on what you consider long.
I consider years long.
Then I've been here two of them.
Alvin, Dallas and Ty came to help Matty when her husband was killed.
What happened to him?
Truck rollover.
Never seen Matty so hurt.
I know how she feels.
- Your mom? - Yeah.
- What happened to your mom? - Cancer. Three years ago.
- I'm sorry. - Me, too.
I think she's watching me sometimes, you know?
It's like I can feel her just behind my shoulder when I'm taking a picture.
- She taught you? - Yeah.
You like the wild horses?
Yeah. I think they're like my mom...
kind of heavenly.
It's a good way to say it.
Maybe...
...your mom sends the wild horses to show you.
- Show me what? - What heaven's like.
Free...
...beautiful...
...everything fits like...
...it's supposed to.
Yeah.
Never thought of it that way.
I do.
Every day.
Dallas... here's the film I took.
Can you take it to the drugstore tomorrow to get it developed?
- Yeah, I'll take it. Throw it over there. - Thanks.
So, what you doing?
Working.
Fixing up stuff, huh?
Yeah.
Got to keep the tack in working order on a ranch.
What's "tack"?
What you call the gear.
Saddles, the bridles, the leather stuff.
Why is it called "tack"?
'Cause that's what it's called.
You are a fountain of knowledge, Alvin.
That he is. Mr. Know-It-All.
Some people drink at the fountain of knowledge
and others just gargle.
It's called "tack" because that was the original name
for the horse harness, bridle and saddle.
Hey, you two see anything up at Starvation yesterday?
Yeah.
What?
A few mustangs, and I got some pictures.
How many?
- Pictures or mustangs? - Mustangs.
- Oh, right. - Um... just a few.
Has Matty always tried to save the mustangs?
Yep. Only one who has.
That's why we work for her. She cares.
How many people around here do?
Will you, uh, hand me that bridle?
That one over there. It has the "W H" on it.
Thanks, CJ.
- This one? - Yeah.
- So, are they hard to fix? - Nah.
That's 'cause he don't really fix 'em.
You don't even know which end of the horse the bridle goes on.
Do too. The front end.
Which matches your back end.
Well, why don't you just, uh,
amuse yourself with the flyswatter or something?
You girls want to go roping tomorrow?
- Rope what? - Yeah.
- A sawhorse. You'll see. - A sawhorse.
- Oh, cool. - Come on.
Let's go ride the horses.
- Okay. - See you later.
See you, guys.
Alvin, you ever stopped to think and then forget to start again?
You know what happens to your laugh if you stand up?
I know what you two are trying to do, and I ain't fallin' for it.
Okay. We can't fool you, can we?
Not hardly.
Hey, Dallas, did you, uh, did you see that story on the news?
Which one?
The one where every 30 seconds in this country a man has a heart attack.
- Is that true? - How does that man survive?
Nobody knows.
You want your flyswatter, Alvin? Flyswatter?
You have an excellent day, Alvin.
- Every time. - I know.
It never gets old.
Seen any mustangs since you've been out here, Dallas?
Nope. Haven't been looking, though.
- Got a hat? - What kind of hat?
Cowboy hat, and, uh, you're gonna need some new clothes, too.
- What's wrong with my clothes? - He's just giving you a bad time.
- I'm just trying to be helpful. - Well, you're not.
Don't listen to them. They think they're so smart.
When you work out here, you got to have the right gear, savvy?
- What's that mean? - What's what mean?
- "Savvy." - Comes from the Spanish.
It's an Americanization of the word "saber,"
to know or understand... sabe.
But the slang version here... "savvy."
Well, aren't you Little Miss Walking Encyclopedia!
Alvin's right... you two are dumber than Q-tips.
Alvin said that?
The man who thinks you need to use a weedeater indoors.
You're jealous. Come on. Let's go play with my ponies.
Let's go play with my ponies, nah, nah, nah.
- Alvin uses a weedeater indoors? - Yeah, bathroom, mostly.
Huh.
I think we finished this whole drive, Mark.
No, we haven't.
There's more up there. I can feel it.
Hey, Virg...
Why don't you follow him up, see what you can find.
And check Starvation. We haven't looked there in a couple of weeks.
I've got to get back to the office before the sheriff misses me.
What if I find something?
That would be the whole point, Virg.
You see, we got to get enough mustangs to satisfy Novak.
And I know that they're up there.
I just don't know where,
and I haven't got the time to look for them.
So that's why you're gonna do it.
- Keep a sharp eye, boys. - Okay.
Hardy, you trail up the back,
but look out for anything coming down the other side.
Don't you boys disappoint me. Savvy?
If they're up there, we'll find them, Morg.
Yesiree, Bob! You can count on us.
Oh, I know I can, Virg.
That's why I picked you.
That's why you picked me?
Oh, yeah.
'Cause you're so...
...you're so reliable.
Yeah. I'm reliable.
You hear that? I'm reliable.
- Lost? - Oh, hi.
Is Matty around?
Yeah, somewhere.
- Hi, can I help you? - Taken care of.
By you? Then you must really need help. Come on.
Oh, I'm just looking for Matty.
Come on. Let me help you find her. She's around here somewhere.
You can't find your hay with both hands.
- Neither of you can. - Hi, Matty.
Hi, Ellie.
I picked you some fresh strawberries. Thought you might enjoy them.
- Thank you. - And everyone might enjoy them.
- I love strawberries! - Your brain is a strawberry.
- What? - Don't you two have work?
If not, I can find something for you to do.
- Oh, no, we got a... - Oh, yeah, did you...
See that? We sold it to Deputy Haynes last year.
But that's where my great-grandfather first homesteaded Starvation...
in that cabin.
How long did he live there?
- How long has it been around? - 1909.
- Go up the hill? - Heck, yeah.
- He's bigger than I thought. - He's beautiful.
- Do you think that's really him? - Oh, it's him.
Look at him... the way he moves. He's so strong.
Only if Matty were here...
I know.
Hello, Matty.
Buck?
Keeping busy, huh?
How's that?
Well, Morg tells me that you've been searching around Horseshoe.
It's my range.
Yes, it is indeed.
You got something to say, Buck, say it.
I just don't want you to make a big stink about it all over the county.
No stink here,
present company excepted.
Oh, oh, oh... let me stop the bleeding a second.
Ooh, much better.
Look, Buck, I noticed there weren't any horses up there at all.
Now, doesn't that strike you as a bit odd?
Matty, I'm sorry to tell you this,
but just about everything around you strikes me as odd.
- Not me. The mustangs. - I know. I know.
- I got Morg checking on it for you. - I don't trust him either.
- You don't trust anybody, Matty. - I trust you'll say something stupid.
Oh, Matty. Matty, in an ever-changing universe, you are my one constant,
my shining star.
Matty loved the wild herd,
more than almost anything.
She'd always been their champion,
but since her husband had passed away,
the horses became even more important to her.
I think she searched every inch of Horseshoe Mountain that day.
One thing I learned about Matty... she was determined.
Once she made up her mind, nothing could stop her.
But the one place she didn't look that day was at Starvation Canyon,
and that's where The Wild Stallion's herd was.
Mom's are the best.
Oh, crap! Rodeo Club's gonna kill me!
What?
I missed practice today for the rodeo and parade.
Practice again on Tuesday, and you're going with me.
Okay.
- That was fun, huh. - Yeah.
See you tomorrow?
First thing. We'll go up to Starvation and get some more pictures.
- Breakfast is at 6:00. - In the morning?
We start early around here.
- That's not early. That's ugly. - Well, get used to it.
- See you in the morning. - By the way, you can't have one.
- What? Breakfast? - No, bath.
- No bath? - No bath.
Why?
- Bathtub ain't available. - How come?
'Cause the transmission.
There's a transmission in the bathtub?
You seen it, too, didn't you?
- So, she can't take a bath? - No.
- But she can take a shower. - Well, why didn't you say so?
I just did!
I don't believe it.
I didn't either until my cousin showed me that.
- The Stallion does exist. - Matty probably knows.
That don't mean nothing.
We gonna get him, Morg?
No.
No, not we. Me.
When I get this Black Stallion, Novak's gonna pay through the nose.
Well, what about us? The stud's worth a lot, ain't he?
What about you, Virg?
Nothing, Morg. I was just wondering about our share, that's all.
Your share is what I say your share is.
- And what would that be? - Yeah?
Oh, you, too, Hardy?
He's right. We're doing the work and taking the chances, Morg.
Buck, he thinks you're the number-one boy doing good and all,
but...
...we should make something out of this, too, that's all.
And you will.
You will.
You'll make exactly what I say you make.
- How much? - Don't push it, Hardy!
You'll get what you get.
That's the end of the discussion.
Savvy?
No point in losing your temper, Morg... it was a fair question.
No, I'll say what's fair, Hardy.
Now, you two get this black-widow maker corralled.
I'm gonna call Novak and let him know.
And then we can talk money.
What, do you want to dance? Get out of here!
Let's go, Virg.
Virg!
- That way. - Okay.
Something's up with Matty.
Yeah, something's always up with Matty.
Dallas, have you been up to Horseshoe lately?
Not in a couple of weeks. Why?
I was just there. Didn't see a family group. Not one mustang.
Nothing?
There were nearly a hundred head up there about, what, three weeks ago.
I know. Doesn't sit right, does it?
Well, we're going to town right after we're done here.
We can check it out after that if you'd like.
It couldn't hurt.
Here we go again.
Those are deep tracks.
Something heavy has been hauled up here.
I think it's time we paid a visit to the deputy sheriff.
About time.
- Gentlemen. - Morg.
What can I do for you?
Well, seems all the wild horses have gone missing.
So then we figured...
...you being the deputy sheriff and all, you might have heard something.
Is that right?
- You've seen them around here? - No.
Yeah, me neither.
Morg, we'd hate for someone we know to be... responsible.
Well, I'm sure that's not the case.
But it ain't your job to worry about it.
It's mine.
Gentlemen.
Let us know if you hear anything.
Morg.
Even in modern days,
free-roaming horses are known to have joined the domesticated animals,
such as the case of the most famous of these,
Kentucky Derby winner Dark Cloud,
which is said to have escaped during a train derailment
on the Utah-Nevada border.
That Wild Stallion's unbroken spirit lives on.
Many claim The Wild Stallion is partial to carrots,
which has given rise to a tradition of hanging carrots out.
I think we could get the stallion to come down if we did something.
What?
- Carrots. - Carrots?
Yeah. Hanging them out as bait.
Isn't that like cheating?
Only if you were trying to trap him. We're not.
- How come carrots? - I read about it.
The Stallion loves carrots.
It's worth a try, huh?
- From your mouth to God's ear. - What does that mean?
Oh, just something my grandma used to say.
When someone says something that you want to happen,
people use an old Yiddish blessing, "from your mouth to God's ear."
- People say that a lot in Ohio? - If they're from Lithuania.
Oh.
Almost noon.
How do you know? You don't have a watch.
The sun.
During the summer solstice,
the sun is directly overhead in the Northern Hemisphere,
but with MDT, its position is about... oh, 11:00 in the sky.
- MDT? - Mountain Daylight Time.
Oh, yeah. Right.
You want to go up and see if he comes down?
Sure. Will Matty care?
I don't see why she would. We're just going to watch.
Yeah. Maybe I could get some more pictures.
- Yeah. Come on. - Okay.
See anything?
Nothing. You were right. They're just gone.
I knew it.
Found some tire tracks up at Starvation.
Could have been a pickup. Could have been anybody.
Not anybody.
Somebody.
Ow! What did you do that for?
You ain't a rabbit. You don't need no carrots.
Now, where's your no-account brother?
Went to town to pick up some baling wire.
You hit me for one lousy carrot?
I think the Stallion's really gonna like these.
Me too.
How are they gonna get to these anyways?
It's not like they have hands.
- They have mouths, you know. - No bigger than yours.
Kyle!
Hello.
Yes.
When?
How many?
Yeah. Where?
All right. I'll go there and see what I can see.
Well, thank you for calling.
- Look, he's taking them! - I told you he would.
He's beautiful.
The book was right.
Whoo! Boy!
I told you he put jalapeños in the strawberries!
Hey, Zack! Hey, Derrick!
You guys catch anything?
- Yep. - Thattaboy. Nice.
- See you later. - Yep.
Hey, boy.
He sure is something.
What should we call him?
Well, his name was Dark Cloud, remember?
Yeah, but we should name him something that fits him now,
like the land.
I know.
Shoteka.
What's that mean?
It's Cheyenne for "dark cloud at sundown."
Shoteka. That's a good name.
His name.
Ain't you missing something, boys?
- Where's your Judas? - You got me.
I figured he'd be leading them down like he always does.
Maybe he started his own herd.
Oh, do you think?
Do you ever think, Virg?
He's a gelding, you nitwit! He ain't got a herd!
Why don't you boys get up there and find him?
What are you waiting for?!
Maybe got his own herd.
- That one's new. - How do you know?
There were only four last time. Now there's five.
Who's that?
- Morgan Haynes. - Who's he?
Bad news.
I got to get some shots!
Wait up!
One set of tracks goes south and one west.
What does that mean?
I don't know. Stallion split 'em, maybe?
To lead him away from the mares.
- Smart horse. - Yeah.
One way or another, you are mine.
Haa! Haa! Heh!
He is too smart for your Judas to work.
He's probably too smart for anybody to catch.
Yeah.
Gosh!
Novak flies in tomorrow.
And I mean to have that horse for him.
Well, where are we going to find him?
We don't have to.
What do you mean "we don't have to"?
He'll find us.
Virg, I need you to pick something up for me.
What?
A sack of carrots.
What do you need carrots for?
I'm just wondering... did I stutter, Virg?
N-n-no, sir.
No. I didn't think so.
You just get 'em for me, okay?
Okay.
What's the matter with you?! Don't make him mad!
I told you, don't make him mad!
Well, what does he need carrots for anyway?
Just go get the carrots! Get the carrots!
Why didn't you tell me?
Well, that's 'cause he's mean as a snake.
- You all remember to... - Not now, knucklehead.
What about Morg Haynes?
I don't care if he is a deputy sheriff. I don't trust him. I never have.
I'm gonna go see Buck.
He's in Gunnison transferring county prisoners today.
I'll find him.
Nobody goes near Starvation till I get to the bottom of this.
Dallas and Ty, finish stacking the hay.
Hannah, I want you to spend the night with CJ.
This is not a request. Savvy? - Yeah.
I don't know how late I'm gonna be.
- Come on, you two. - Well, we wanted to go riding.
- Not up to Starvation. - I know. Come on.
He looks good in this position, don't you think?
- He does, doesn't he? - Yeah.
- Make sure you get everything. - We always get everything.
Oh, yeah. Like last time, Virg?
That wasn't my fault.
Here, Virg.
- Carry this. - Okay.
Where are we going again?
W-why don't you, uh, tie... oh, never mind.
So, you really think this will work on Virg's Judas, don't you?
I saw the kids doing it, didn't I?
That's how they brought him down in the first place.
Yeah, these kids. They sure are smart these days.
That's what I think.
You and think and that just, uh... don't...
Say, shut up, both of you. I'll do the thinking for all of us.
Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.
So, where do you want to put it when we get him?
The last place anybody would look.
Slow.
We got to go check. We can't let Morg get him.
- But Matty said that... - I know, but he might kill him.
You heard that story about his temper.
Maybe we can get there first, lead him away and bring him down here.
- Yeah. To your house. - It's worth a try, huh?
- Yeah. - All right. Come on.
Come on, boy! Come on, boy!
- They're not here. - Maybe we just can't find them.
We've looked everywhere.
- Come on. - Okay.
Oh, no!
I was sure they'd be here.
Nothing. Where could they be?
I don't know. I was so sure Morg had him.
- Wait. - What?
Where's the best place to hide something?
Where no one will find it?
- Well, yeah, but in plain sight. - What do you mean?
Come on. Hurry.
Come on. I think he's in town.
That's Morg's truck!
Let's go! Hurry!
I knew it!
See? It's them!
You were right.
- Yeah, he's something, ain't he? - Indeed he is.
The buyer for the Stallion!
- We need help, CJ. - Yeah.
And evidence.
- Take a picture! - Good idea!
Load him up. I want him out-of-state by tonight.
Not a problem.
One nice package.
Take me to the plane.
Aren't you forgetting something?
Sure nice doing business with you, Mr. Novak.
May I go now?
I'll have Virg take you back. Virg...
Hardy, get over here.
Now, I want you to stay here and watch the trailers.
I've got to go check in, or Buck's gonna get suspicious.
What do we do? There's no time to get Matty, Dallas, or Ty.
No. I know! It's Tuesday! Rodeo Club!
You keep taking pictures. I'll be right back.
What are they saying?
That his truck's on fire.
Come on.
- Where do we take him? - Away.
What are you doing with my horses?
You weren't gonna steal my horse, were you girls?
- He's not yours! Stop! - Well, he's not yours, either!
He's not yours, either!
Sheriff Thompson, Wayne County,
has probably got Virg and that big-shot tycoon of yours already.
- Yeah, but how? - How?
If you were any kind of a lawman,
you would know that county cars leave county tracks.
I had my suspicions, I just needed proof.
Here's some more.
Thank you, little lady.
- I hope they aren't blurry. - Come here, you!
Guess you heard.
Heard about what?
Buck arrested Morg this afternoon. You were right.
He got Virg Billings and Hardy Johnson, too.
They were all in on it together.
Hardy and Virg... Sounds about right.
You know, folks are saying he's yours.
Well, they're wrong.
He's not mine.
He doesn't belong to anybody.
He's free, like he should be.
So, uh, what are you gonna do now?
I'm gonna finish fixing the fence.
It was a magical summer for me,
and it was over way too soon.
Dallas and Ty kept playing their jokes on poor Alvin.
Poor Alvin didn't have a chance.
But Alvin actually got the last laugh on the brothers that same day.
Both Ty and Dallas were crazy about Matty's friend, Ellie.
Alvin appeared and took Ellie for a walk, right under their noses.
Ty and Dallas never even saw it coming.
What?
Doesn't even make sense!
He's a cook! And his nose is stuck to his finger!
Later I heard that Alvin and Ellie really hit it off.
She helped him unglue his hand in a really interesting way.
The day I was leaving, Daddy came to pick me up,
and Matty wasn't around.
I'll miss you.
I said goodbye to everybody.
I was really going to miss them.
I'd been so wrong about coming there.
Ty and Dallas said goodbye.
And then Matty came out. Whoa! She looked good!
Daddy thought so, too.
He never had a chance.
We went to the county-fair parade in town.
It was the first one like that I had ever seen.
CJ was chosen as the Queen of the Fair Parade,
and we both got to ride in it.
Matty was wrong about that.
I think it's one of the best memories I'll ever have.
We never saw the Wild Stallion again, or his herd.
I think he led them out of Starvation
and over the mountains back to Nevada.
He was the most beautiful and wild thing I had ever seen before or since,
and to this day I think about him still, running full-out
on the mountain meadow where I first saw him,
forever wild, forever strong, forever free.
Subtitles by LeapinLar