Horse Illustrated Magazine

Snowman was a horse whose early years were spent doing farm work, pulling a plow in the 1950s. At age 8, he was bound for the slaughterhouse when he caught the eye of riding instructor Harry deLeyer at an auction. Both Snowman and deLeyer’s lives would change forever.

Together, the pair took the East Coast show jumping circuit by storm, winning championship titles at the highest levels of national competition. The horse’s calm disposition was almost as famous as his athletic ability; even during his competitive show jumping years, he was still a trustworthy mount for young children. Snowman lived out his life as part of the deLayer family until his death at age 26.

Horse lovers have become well acquainted with Snowman’s story in recent years through a book published in 2011, The 80 Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts. The horse’s amazing story will get a wider audience this year with the release of Harry and Snowman, a documentary told through old footage from Snowman’s day and interviews with deLeyer himself.

An advance screening of the film will take place on Thursday, March 31 at the Kentucky Theater in downtown Lexington, Ky. The premier is a fundraiser for the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center, a Lexington-based Thoroughbred reschooling facility. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.secretariatcenter.org/events.

About The Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center

The Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center (MMSC), located in the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, the Horse Capital of the World, is a renowned reschooling facility for adoptable Thoroughbreds. Founded in 2004, the MMSC uses its prime location to display the athleticism and varied talents of this amazing breed. Using the Horse Centered Reschooling program, developed my MMSC director Susanna Thomas, horses of all levels and abilities can go on to be ambassadors for racehorses in new careers. The MMSC is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday (from9am to 2pm) and is proud to offer myriad educational opportunities for learning about and interacting with the remarkable Thoroughbred.