Britain is known for its cutting-edge and unique dramas. It seems that between the four terrestrial stations, back in the day, no stone was unturned when it came to innovative themes. With the UK’s fascination with animals and sport, it was inevitable a crop of shows would appear centred on the country’s obsession with equine sports. But do you remember all or any of the classics below?
Trainer
Howard’s Way was a BBC series that ran between 1985 and 1990. Extremely successful, it spawned a follow-up that many thought was just as good, though slightly overlooked. Trainer was its name, and it focused on the world of horse racing and training. It followed Mike Hardy, an aspiring trainer who endeavoured to set up his own stables. Tales focused on the trials and tribulations this brought, mixed in with his personal relationships and events in the local area.
The show managed to occupy the prime Sunday night slot its predecessor had. However, critics and viewers did not warm to the one-story-per-episode format. It gained a second series, and this was given an ongoing soap narrative. However, it was not to be, and Trainer was cancelled.
Rough Diamond
Rough Diamond was the most recent horse racing drama, but it was still over 18 years ago in 2007. A co-production between RTE and BBC Northern Ireland, it followed the dispute between a racehorse trainer. His life was upturned with the arrival of a son he did not know about, a temperamental racehorse, a lack of funding, and arguments with his landowning neighbours.
Luckily, racehorse ownership no longer has to be this testing for anyone. Modern websites that specialise in racehorse syndicates allow people to invest in horses for relatively low entry points. They can then be as hands-on or off as they like. Those who buy shares can then watch the horses progress online and even share in their success. It is just a case of selecting from a list of horses, and then checking their trainers and form.
Follyfoot
Follyfoot was created way back in 1971, airing the same year on ITV. Strangely, it was a co-production between Yorkshire Television and the West German TV Munchen. It was inspired by the novel Cobbler’s Dream and still retains extremely high ratings on IMDB, with many episodes getting an 8.2 and up.
Part of its appeal was that it pulled no punches. The story was about a young girl, Dora, played by Gillian Blake. Staying with her uncle, she is encouraged to visit Follyfoot Farm, a refuge for old and unwanted horses, many with racing backgrounds. The episodes were often hard-hitting, with a theme that focused on giving second chances to both animals and the people she would meet along the way.
In the days of modern streaming television, it is quite surprising there are not more horse racing dramas. It can’t be long before Netflix or Disney brings one out. Until then, you can delve into these classics and relive some nostalgia from yesteryear.
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