DressageDaily: New PBS Film Exploring the Bond Between Horse and Rider Features Jane Savoie

Thursday October 17, 2002

New PBS Film Exploring the Bond Between Horse and Rider Features Jane Savoie

Horse and Rider is the latest in the Nature series broadcast on PBS. This episode was more than two years in the making and explores the deep bond between equines and humans. Using the sports of dressage, polo, and cutting, Horse and Rider delves into how the relationship between horse and rider is formed and how it evolves. Horse and Rider will air on October 20 at 8:00 p.m. (EST, check local listings.)

Jane Savoie, Olympic reserve dressage rider, author of best-selling books and videos, and Tropical Rider spokeswoman, is among the riders featured in the film. A camera crew followed Ms. Savoie through her lessons, training, and competitions, capturing on film the crucial element of success in training : trust. "A rider can be no better than the horse she's sitting on. So it's a mutual collaboration between horse and rider, to end up with the finished product that shows you beauty, just like looking at a beautiful painting," Ms. Savoie explains.

One of the key elements of the program is how the relationship between human and horse is impacted through sport. "The most compelling aspect of this film, from my perspective, is the breadth of the human and animal bond that it demonstrates, encompassing work, sport, and art, " says Fred Kaufman, executive producer of Nature.

Nature is a production of Working Dog Productions Inc. and Thirteen/WNET New York. The show is now in its 21st season and has won more than 225 awards. A video will be available after the broadcast on www.pbs.org. For more information about Jane Savoie, please visit www.janesavoie.com.