The Wild Stallion

HANNAH:
It's been said

that there are hundreds,

if not thousands of wild mustangs

roaming the western United States,

living symbols of the West

and its pioneer spirit.

The American mustang in particular

is a beautiful, natural,

and, to me, mysterious creature.

In recent years, though,

the most talked about,

most interesting, most intriguing

were the stories

of the wild Black Stallion.

Some said he was the direct

descendant of the Arabians

the Conquistadors

had brought to the New World.

Others insisted he was a ghost horse

that no one could see or hear

but always came

to raid local herds for the mares

and then lead them away in the night.

I believe he was really Dark Cloud,

the legendary Derby winner

that disappeared

when the Union Pacific Flyer

derailed in eastern Nevada.

Whoever he was really,

The Great Horse

was just The Wild Stallion to us.

In the summer

I learned the truth about him,

I also learned the truth

about a lot of things, including me.

I lived in Cleveland, Ohio with my dad.

We'd been on our own

since Mama died.

I know losing her was hard on me,

but what I didn't realize then

was how hard it had been for him.

Yeah, taking pictures

is all I have to do.

Why can't you stay with me?

I wasn't invited. You were.

Besides, there's horses,

swimming, hiking...

There's a million things to do.

You'll like Matty, too.

Just because

she's your old girlfriend?

That's ancient history, pumpkin.

That was 25 years ago.

Listen, she did say that there was

a girl your age... built-in friend.

Oh, great. A built-in friend

from Nowhere, Nevada.

Nowhere, Utah.

She'll probably think

I'm a stuck-up city slicker.

Well, you'll just have

to prove her wrong, won't you?

Yeah.

[Motor revs]

- Ready?

- Yeah.

HANNAH:
It seemed to me

that all he ever did was work,

and I know now that was

because it was the only way

he could keep his mind off losing her.

I don't blame him.

He didn't know what else to do.

And if I'd been him, I wouldn't either.

One of the best things Mama

gave me was the love of photography.

She's the one who first told me

about the wild horses out West,

and more than anything,

I wanted to capture them on film.

I thought it

would never happen, but after...

... well, when Mama was gone,

Dad finally said he'd take me.

This is the Nebo Mountain Range,

part timber, part sagebrush,

and all wild-horse country.

And right in the middle of it

is the Bear Mountain Ranch,

and that's where I

was going to spend the next month.

That's C.J.

She was always riding.

She belonged to the local rodeo club,

and I'm pretty sure she'd never

even visited a big city before.

If you would have told me

the first day

that she would become

my best friend,

I would have said you were crazy.

That's Alvin Niedermeyer.

He was the ranch's cook.

Those two were brothers,

Dallas and Ty Brody.

Look at them strawberries.

I'm the strawberry fairy.

- Can we have some?

- No.

Why don't you go

and find something to mulch?

That was also the day

Matty told CJ I was coming.

Hard to believe she and my dad

were... well, liked each other.

Hi, Matty.

- Kyle said you called.

- I did. I need your help.

- What for?

- Not what... who.

Who?

A girl about your age.

Her name is Hannah Mills.

What about her?

Well, she's coming here

for part of the summer.

- I need you to look after her.

- Me? Why?

City girl.

She's coming here

to take photographs

for a project or something.

Her father's

an old college friend of mine.

Going out of the country on business,

asked me to look after her for awhile.

- I said you would.

- But I got stuff I need to do.

I already checked with your folks

before they left.

Your mom said it was fine.

Get your mitts

out of the strawberries.

Grandma tree don't fork, does it?

Oh, this from the man who gets

his hair cut at Tupperware parties.

City girl's not gonna know

her way around here.

I need you to be friends with her.

Seeing as it's kind of a job,

I'll pay you for it.

How much?

Depends on the job you do.

But I'm gonna be working

with my ponies for the county fair.

Not full-time.

Just during the day.

That is full-time!

I sleep at night.

We all do.

[Scoffs]

...little animals.

You're good at that.

[Laughing] All right.

All right, all right,

all right, little brother. All right.

Let's just leave Mr. Cranky alone.

We're okay. Okay?

Go back to your strawberries.

[Dallas and Ty laugh]

DALLAS:
Hey, CJ!

So, Hardy, when am I

gonna see that next load?

Ain't quite sure.

We're doing what we can, but these

mustangs are getting sparse.

The ones that ain't caught

are getting smarter.

Let me tell you something.

He ain't payin' you for your excuses.

You don't have to tell me

more than once.

- Well, anyway...

- Thanks.

How much?

- More than last time.

- Good.

- That looks real good!

- Yeah.

No...

That's business.

I spotted another bunch

up by Horseshoe.

I want you two boys to go up there

in the morning and scope it out.

Why not go now?

Because I said I seen 'em,

not that they was there now.

Scope it out

in the morning, boys, savvy?

Use your Judas horse, Virg.

Yeah, he'll bring 'em down.

What if somebody else

got the same idea?

Well, then you just...

...discourage 'em.

All right. We can do that.

How do you know they're wild?

How do you know they're not?

You know what? I think those

are the horses we're showing

at the rodeo show in two weeks.

They are?

- They are.

- Then we can ride 'em!

Everybody in town can ride 'em.

[Engine shuts off]

You take credit cards?

Take cash.

- You don't take a credit card?

- You can read, can't you?

Right.

- There you go.

- Nice down payment.

[Clears throat]

You didn't make that

on a computer, though, did you?

[Chuckles]

No, it's real.

Do you know

where the Bear Mountain Ranch is?

- Of course.

- How far from here?

Couple hundred miles,

far as a crow flies.

Highway 89, right?

BILLY DON:
Nope.

- Well, the map says...

- Well, it don't get you there exactly.

It goes right past it,

and keeps going,

but you can get there.

Well, how long will it take to get us

to that, uh, little ranch, there?

About four hours, give or take,

but there ain't nothing there.

What, the ranch is gone?

Well, I didn't say that.

There ain't no cattle no more.

We're not looking for cattle.

Well, then you won't

be disappointed, then, will you?

Right.

Well, I'm gonna fill you up here, guys.

[Birds call, insects chirp]

[Horse neighs]

You just send 'em on down to us, boy.

Go on!

[Horse neighs]

HARDY:
You figure there's more?

Yeah. He'll bring 'em down.

Nolan's been patrollin' Horseshoe.

Don't mean diddly.

What if he sees us?

You sound like a 5-year-old, Virg.

I want you two

to head up to Horseshoe.

I'm gonna track the back side.

Meet me back here in two hours?

Yeah?

Don't make me wait.

Heeyah!

That Morg, he sure

has a temper on him, don't he?

He's a dangerous one, just as soon

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