A European immigrant makes his way to the good ‘ol U.S. of A. after World War II. He runs across a broken down Amish plow horse bound for the glue factory (kids you’ll have to Google that one) and literally rescues him right off of the slaughter truck. The two develop a bond and less than two years later the horse goes on to win the “Triple Crown” of show jumping.
Nice little fairy tail to tell the kiddos before you send them off to beddy-bye? Or perhaps a “too good to be true” story out of someone’s vivid imagination. You certainly would think so wouldn’t you? But it’s actually the true-life saga of Harry deLeyer and his show jumping legend horse, Snowman. And now this amazing story has been made into a multi-award winning documentary, featuring the 86-year-old deLeyer as he tells his tale of the horse that defied all odds to become a international celebrity and champion.
Young Harry deLeyer grew up working on his family farm in Holland, and after the war he and his wife immigrated to the United States where he was offered a job as a riding instructor at the exclusive Knox School on Long Island. A 1956 trip to a Pennsylvania auction in search of bargain-priced horses changed his life forever, as he and the horse whose life he saved went on to win the 1958 horse show jumping Triple Crown, the American Horse Shows Association “Horse of the Year” award and became the Professional Horseman’s Association Champion.
In the late ’50s/early ’60s Snowman the horse was as popular as any human athlete of the time, and he appeared on the hit TV shows To Tell the Truth and on Who Do You Trust with Johnny Carson. He had his own fan club, was profiled twice in Life magazine and was the subject of three best-selling books, including the 2011 NY Times Best-Seller, The Eighty-Dollar Champion. He even had his own comic strip. Snowman finally retired from competition in 1962 to Harry’s farm in Long Island where he lived until he passed away in 1974.
Harry and Snowman is a wonderful family film about a true underdog in every sense of the word. “It is not a niche movie about the world of show jumping,” said the film’s producer, Ron Davis. “It’s a movie about a wonderful human-interest story that will appeal to the masses the way that both Seabiscuit and Secretariat have in the past.”
“Heartwarming…captivating” – The Hollywood Reporter
“A cinematic bouquet to the world… it simply has to be seen” – indiewire
The Independent documentary has played in film festivals across the nation in 2015, including cities such as NYC and San Francisco – and it’s now coming to Plano on December 20 for it’s only showing in Texas. The exclusive screening has been made possible by Classic BMW of Plano, and the dealership will host a pre-screening VIP reception with the award-winning filmmaker Ron Davis in their showroom.
Date: Sunday, December 20
When/Where: 2:30 p.m. VIP Reception at Classic BMW (6800 Dallas Pkwy, Plano TX) and 4:10 screening at Angelika Film Center, The Shops at Legacy in Plano (7205 Bishop Rd, Plano TX)
- Enjoy mimosas and light appetizers provided by E.&J. Gallo and Texas Land & Cattle at the VIP Reception.
- Classic BMW will provide an optional shuttle service to and from the theater for all guests.
- Triple Crown Winner American Pharaoh’s halter (made available by Bob Baffert) will be on hand for photo opportunities at the VIP reception.
Cost: $50 per person. Tickets available at: www.lopetx.org/screening
Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit LOPE Texas of Austin and The Snowman Rescue Fund.
For additional information contact:
Chey Reynolds, Event Producer
chey@brand-divas.com or 214.766.3867
