An unbridled passion

On the first Saturday in May, countless people the world over become horseracing fans.

An entire cottage industry provides hosts and hostesses with everything from rose-colored bunting to jockey helmet cutouts to gussy up Kentucky Derby parties. But after the mint julep cocktail mix has been put away for another year, horseracing for the most part leaves the American consciousness.

But the Thoroughbred horses that had been the center of attention don’t magically vanish until their next appearance, like an enchanted Brigadoon. Neither do the people who love, train and care for them.

Every day of the year, this subculture of horse people does mundane chores such as cleaning hooves and mucking out stalls. And often as they work, they will daydream about the next Thoroughbred foal that just might become a legend.

Emmy-winning actress Kathryn Walker narrates this hope beautifully in the introduction to the new documentary film “Thoroughbred.”

“This is a world built on money and competition, passion and tradition, knowledge and luck,” Walker says. “And built, most of all, on dreams.”

Academy Award-winning filmmaker and Charlottesville resident Paul Wagner wrote those words and directed and produced the documentary. The film will be presented at 1:15 p.m. Nov. 7 in Culbreth Theatre as part of the 23rd annual Virginia Film Festival, which opens Thursday.

Wagner has wanted to make this film for 20 years. Having grown up in Kentucky, he knew the Thoroughbred horse industry was “fertile ground” for a documentary.

The film takes viewers behind the scenes into a world as rife with colorful characters as you’ll likely find under any big top. There’s Arthur B. Hancock III, owner of Stone Farm, which has produced three Kentucky Derby winners.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, tells the story of how the Thoroughbred traces its linage back to the Middle East. He’s also seen pursuing his personal quest of having one of his horses win “the Run for the Roses.”

Patti Barton recalls her days as a pioneering female jockey, and black groom Freddie “Scrapyard” Winston talks about the era of segregation on the backside of Churchill Downs. A treasure of archival photographs helps illustrate the story of America’s oldest sport as it’s told by those who know it best.

“I think ‘Thoroughbred’ is a very powerful film that’s beautifully, beautifully shot,” said Jody Kielbasa, director of the film festival. “It was very informative and an eye-opener for me.

“But more than anything, it’s just such a stunningly shot film. I think it’s a film that will resonate in this community, because of the interest in horses.

“It’s one of the great films in this year’s lineup representing Charlottesville and Virginia filmmakers.”

More than 100 films will be screened during the four-day festival. Special events are also scheduled — such as Family Day on Saturday, which offers free programs for all ages.

This year’s film schedule offers an impressive array of locally made documentaries. They include Bill Reifenberger’s and Benjamin Clore’s documentary “Vintage: The Winemaker’s Year,” Meghan Eckman’s “The Parking Lot Movie” and Chris Farina’s “World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements.”

“Thoroughbred” was funded by Kentucky Educational Television’s Endowment for Kentucky Productions. Wagner’s marching orders were to create a marquee film about something important to Kentucky that would have national appeal.

“The Thoroughbred was an image KET thought was something they could build a film around,” said Wagner. “It was a fabulous opportunity to take things I had thought and read about over a long period of time and make a film about them.

“For all the problems with the Thoroughbred industry, and they’re myriad, the bottom line is that there’s something profound about the relationship people have with the animal, and the desire that stirs in the animal and the human to win.

“As I worked on the film, I learned more and more about the horse and the relationship with them that people, rich and poor, have at all these different levels.”

Not that long ago, horses were central to the American way of life. Today, even a farm kid can grow up without ever feeling the warmth of a horse’s breath or the strength of its muscles beneath a hand or saddle.

With elegant prose and uplifting cinematography, “Thoroughbred” serves as a timely reminder of why people still devote their lives to these majestic creatures. The film also addresses much bleaker realities, such as sparsely populated grandstands.

“To be frank, this is a sport and an industry that’s in decline,” Wagner said. “For generations the racetrack was one of the few places where you could go to gamble.

“Now, with state lotteries, legal gambling establishments and the Internet, anybody can gamble pretty much any time they want, and it’s hurting racing. But part of the reason I wanted to make the film is to say that there’s something of value and importance here that deserves to have a life, even if it’s a reduced footprint in the cultural landscape of American sports.

“[It] deserves to have a place, because there is something wonderful and honorable about it. There’s something noble about the horse, and there’s something wonderful about the lifestyle that surrounds the horse.

“And there’s something really fun about going to the track, putting down a $2 bet and watching your horse run. It’s family entertainment that’s really exciting.”

Hancock knows Thoroughbreds like long-married couples know their spouses. His grandfather, Arthur B. Hancock, founded the world-renowned Claiborne Farm. Then Hancock’s father, Arthur B. “Bull” Hancock Jr., turned it into what is widely considered the most important breeding farm in the country.

“The Thoroughbred tries so hard,” Hancock said during a recent interview from his 2,000 acre farm near Paris, Ky. “It’s pure heart.

“If you look into a horse’s eye, there’s a depth that’s hard to define, but you know there’s something there. It’s one of the most noble of God’s creatures.

“If you’re fortunate enough to have one go ahead and do something, it’s like having a member of your family doing it. It’s a great sport with a wonderful and courageous athlete.”

Hancock gave Wagner’s film high marks for providing a well researched overall history of the Thoroughbred and the industry. He said he was particularly pleased to see that it presented a good cross-section of the industry, and didn’t just concentrate on the horse owners and the pageantry.

Some of the most entertaining segments in the film have to do with the people who ride, train and care for the horses. Many viewers likely will be surprised to learn that, prior to the early part of the 20th century, most jockeys and trainers were black.

Another fascinating story within a story is how the Thoroughbred came to be. Every Thoroughbred alive today can trace its bloodlines back to three Arabian stallions brought to England in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The stallions, Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian and Godolphin Arabian, were bred with 74 foundation mares. During the ensuing centuries, kings and paupers have tried to figure out the alchemy of genes that will produce a champion.

The only sure bet seems to be that if you think you know how to do it, you’re probably wrong. In the film Hancock shares a quote from horse trainer Charlie Whittingham.

“Charlie said, ‘Never say anything about a horse until it has been dead for at least 10 years,’ ” Hancock said with a laugh. “For example, nobody liked Sunday Silence as a yearling.

“He was really like the ugly duckling that turned into a swan. I mean, everybody turned him down for one reason or another. Nobody wanted to buy him, and he ended up winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and was horse of the year.

“My father used to laugh when he’d tell a story on himself about when Bold Ruler [sire of Secretariat] was a foal. He told them to put him at the back of the farm because he looked like a spider, he was so ugly.

“Northern Dancer was a little bitty thing. But he ended up winning the Kentucky Derby and being the greatest influence probably on the business of any stallion, ever. So you just never know.”

The film ends with a foal being born at Stone Farm. As it struggles to its feet, so too rises a new dream of hoped for greatness.

Wagner has hopes for his new documentary as well.

“What I hope people come away with after seeing the film is what I came away with,” Wagner said. “Even though I didn’t grow up with horses, I think I have a sense now of what is unique and amazing about the relationship between the human and the horse.

“And I do hope they come away with an appreciation for horseracing. And I hope they think about driving over to Colonial Downs next spring.

“I’ve grown to care about the people and the horses, and I hope the sport can be perpetuated in a good way.”

The documentary film, “Thoroughbred,” will be presented at 1:15 p.m. Nov. 7, at Culbreth Theatre. Tickets are $7. Wagner and local horse trainer and bloodstock advisor Deborah Easter will discuss the film and field questions after the screening. Tickets for all festival events can be purchased at Culbreth box office, Main Street Arena (formerly the Charlottesville Ice Park) and online at www.virginiafilmfestival.org.