![\"riptornandrohanlegolas\"](\"https:\/\/history.lippittclub.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/riptornandrohanlegolas-284x300.png\")
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Happy Friday! Here is your Friday Flashback, from a 1994 club newsletter:<\/p>\n \u201cRohan Legolas: Star of the \u2018Silver Screen\u2019\u201d Note: \u201cMr. Leggs\u201d is used for farm work and log hauling on Sam\u2019s Merryheart Farm. Director of Photography, Paul Ryan also worked on \u201cBatman II\u201d. Photos taken by Joe Mehling of Caledonia Pictures. Catch this film in theaters through 11\/94 or see it on video due out 12\/94. Thanks for sharing this exciting adventure with us!<\/p>\n (From LCN Volume XXI, Vol. 2 Versatility\/Western Region\/Canada July-Sept 1994, p. 28.)<\/p>\n (Note from the FB page administrator: Sam Miller apparently was unaware that the original Disney film of “Justin Morgan Had a Horse” used a full Lippitt Morgan, as well – Heritage Ethan. Note that both Heritage Ethan and Rohan Legolas descend from the great Lippitt Miss Nekomia.)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Happy Friday! Here is your Friday Flashback, from a 1994 club newsletter: \u201cRohan Legolas: Star of the \u2018Silver Screen\u2019\u201d by Sam Miller Late summer 1992, I was approached by Caledonia Pictures, a Vermont based movie company, looking for a Morgan horse for the movie “Where The Rivers Flow North”. This story, set in Vermont […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[353,351,352,354],"yoast_head":"\n
\nby Sam Miller
\n
\nLate summer 1992, I was approached by Caledonia Pictures, a Vermont based movie company, looking for a Morgan horse for the movie “Where The Rivers Flow North”. This story, set in Vermont in 1927, was of Noel Lord a river driver and logger and his house mate Bangor, and their fight with a power company trying to move them off their land. A Morgan horse was needed that could log, haul a wagon and stone boat, and be quiet enough for anyone to use. Rip Torn, Oscar nominated for “Cross Creek”, Emmy nominated for the “Larry Sanders Show”, and Tantoo Cardinal, “Dances with Wolves”, were cast in the lead roles.
\nI was called in September and asked if Rip could come by and see my horses and talk to me. I wasn’t ready for the man, unassumingly dressed as a farmer, who showed up. We toured Merryheart Farm and spoke of working horses. He had driven a draft team in the movie “Heartland”, and was concerned with realism and safety. I showed him my 5 yr. old stallion Rohan Legolas, and explained how I thought he could fit the bill. I had started hauling poles out of the woods with him as a yearling, driving him as a two year old, and even going to A.D.S. (American Driving Society) marathons as a three year old. Rip was impressed that my stallion, hooked double with another mare, had hauled approximately 5,000 board feet of lumber to side our current 36’x72′ barn. Rip said he wanted to work with me and my horse, and after the approval of the director, we became part of the picture.
\nRohan Legolas is 14.2 hands, bay, son of Royalton Ashline, out of Alpine Miss Nekomia, a Dyberry Buddy daughter. “Mr. Leggs” has always been a very sensible horse, and although at that time he had six babies already, I’ve always kept him well mannered and not allowed him to talk in public. That year he had become pasture fat, other than a couple of hitches and saddlings. For two weeks prior to the start of filming, Rip Torn came to Merryheart and took lessons from me learning to harness, hook, and drive, as well as doing some logging.
\nOne other major difficulty to be overcome was that the character of Noel Lord was a one armed man with a hook on one hand, so all the horse work was further complicated. We decided on making a loop in one rein by tying it as we had heard of one man actually doing, but this also needed extra safety precautions and fail-safes. I’ve always trained my horses to whoa by vocal command, and a few times this came into play when some of the rigging failed.
\nThe most challenging scene takes place when the Noel Lord character dies and is hauled to his grave by horse.
\nThis is actually done in the movie with Tantoo driving the stud and a stunt man being hauled. She had never driven a horse before, but with some “on the job training” in logging with him, and a few takes, did a wonderful job. I was also used as a double for her but was cut in the end.
\nI was used in some doubling shots for Rip in many scenes but one in logging was actually used. I was proud that during the shooting of the logging scenes, my stallion hauled two different logs, one 12 foot with a 15″ top for a total of 110 board feet, and one log 16 feet long that totaled 160 board feet. These huge loads amazed the filming crew, they couldn\u2019t believe such a small horse could haul such a big log. The first log is the one that is in the movie.
\nWe filmed for two months in northern Vermont and New Hampshire, the fall of the year with the wonderful foliage around. This feature length movie is the first one I know of with a 100% Lippitt, and I hope you\u2019ll get to see it. Meanwhile I got to become a good friend to Rip and his family and go to the premieres with him. He says he has a high regard for my horse, and said, \u201cNow I know what a real Morgan is.\u201d Music to my ears and I was well paid too! Best regards all.<\/p>\n