Great documentary and respectful portrait of a quiet, very reserved and mild mannered lady from Wales who decided after overhearing a conversation that she fancied breeding a racehorse despite zero experience (if you don't count the time she spent breeding whippets, budgies and racing pigeons) and the group of thoroughly decent human beings that chipped in endured a roller-coaster lasting several years.
From newborn foal to racing yard joke to a possible contender, the brink of death and back to ultimate glory. Sounds like the worst, cheesiest storyline straight out of a Disney movie but it's as further from it as you can possibly get.
This works so well because of the talking heads and interviews with those involved and there's absolutely no airs, graces, kiss my arse or suck my fat one. They're as genuine, down to Earth and honest as it gets. Even the posh folk from the elite world of racing have to be given full credit for their searing, brutal honesty.
A TB chestnut mare and failed racehorse, heavily scarred, overweight and with a poor temperament and tendency to throw her riders was bought from a muddy paddock for just a few hundred quid with the intention being for her to foal what these novice owners hoped would become a decent racehorse. The owners - all 23 of them could only afford the cheapest stallion available so picked him and not long after, a gangly chestnut foal was born nobody saw coming and even Disney would deem too far fetched if they were creating him for a feel good family movie.
Kept on an allotment and fed veg peelings and whatever was going spare initially, the owners eventually saved up enough to pay the fees for him to be professionally trained. The yard staff and trainer admitted when Jan and Daisy rocked up enquiring about training "Dream" for them, they really thought the couple were tourists that just wanted to have a day of tyre kicking and time wasting before going back to their Butlins chalet.
With a slow, inconsistent start, this gangly outsider owned by commoners turned out to be an actual contender, full of cocksure confidence and with attitude, arrogance and deciding on his terms when and where he felt like running. That quirk reminded me of so many horses I've known, loved, ridden and been infuriated with as they give everything for you and would jump through a brick wall if asked one day only to go "Nah.. don't feel like it today mate gonna kick back and watch The Kardashian's" another.
"Dream" became the surprise to everyone but suffered an injury that sees the majority of racehorses euthanised. The footage of him hit the landing side and his foreleg just go made me wince and mentally pull him up and the screens appearing and surrounding him straight after made my heart sink even though I know his story and that it didn't end there on the course that day.
Due to his success on the track, his insurance value had risen and at the time of his injury he was worth around £180,000 so in the nicest way, Dream was worth more to them all dead than alive but with only a small chance the vets could do something to keep him alive - even if he never raced again in his life - the syndicate agreed to try doing everything possible and opted to have him transferred to an equine hospital immediately and attempt to treat and save his life.
It's worth keeping in mind how incredibly unlikely it was vets would be successful saving his leg at all and how much the insurance money that mean to these people who barely had a pot to pee in at the end of each month. Say what you will about the racing industry and its often cruel, cold-minded mentality in many respects, this lot genuinely cared about this horse and did what they felt was right for him not what was recommended and they stood to gain financially from doing.
Against all odds Dream recovered and went on to return to win the Welsh Grand National at which point he'd safely assured his place in the history books.
I did feel for Jan and Howard in their differing ideas following his win at the Welsh. On one hand I understood how and why Howard felt strongly there was just one last step left in this incredible journey and go big in the Grand National but on the other, I sensed and shared Jan's regret at having not retired him right after he won the Welsh.
He ran his heart out, he earned his place amongst the elites and had done more than anyone ever imagined so I would have personally retired him the second he passed the finish post and let him bow out gracefully rather than dare push my luck and risk him going over the fences in the Grand National.
Howard's wife came over as the only person that didn't support him, understand the love her husband had for this horse and I suspect she might have been one of a select few who was maybe even annoyed at their decision to save and not euthanise him on the course. Harsh I know but that's the feeling I got from the interviews she gave. Not sure if she was included to balance things out or what but she just comes across as a woman that wouldn't give a tiny toss if Dream had ended up in her lasagne.
Jan however - totally different soul and I felt her tears talking about the "pact" she made with Dream and promise to bring him back home to her when he'd had enough and couldn't or didn't want to run any more. She made good on her promise and made sure after his retirement he remained well cared for as he rightly deserves and still is to this day.
The only thing I'd have liked is to hear a little more background and info as to what Janet and Daisy's prior experience was with horses. Although new to racing, they both had some knowledge and Daisy talked of his love for both riding and driving so they didn't go in entirely blind. Maybe that was skipped over because of the likelihood their background is with hardier Welsh Cobs and not TB chasers but it's still relevant or at least it is to me.
I learned to ride as a very young kid with Irish gypsy cobs and later rode racehorses and showjumpers so to me it's not remotely irrelevant or insignificant.
If you've had the sort of quiet conversations with a horse that Jan talks of having with Dream, you'll understand and not need another word of explanation.
If you read this and think I sound like a 10yr old girl with a bedroom full of pink and silver unicorns, I can't explain it anyway so won't waste time trying.
If you've ever ridden / competed with a horse you know inside out, back to front and whose one consistency is being so bloody inconsisent, you'll appreciate this fella. He's a diamond.
From newborn foal to racing yard joke to a possible contender, the brink of death and back to ultimate glory. Sounds like the worst, cheesiest storyline straight out of a Disney movie but it's as further from it as you can possibly get.
This works so well because of the talking heads and interviews with those involved and there's absolutely no airs, graces, kiss my arse or suck my fat one. They're as genuine, down to Earth and honest as it gets. Even the posh folk from the elite world of racing have to be given full credit for their searing, brutal honesty.
A TB chestnut mare and failed racehorse, heavily scarred, overweight and with a poor temperament and tendency to throw her riders was bought from a muddy paddock for just a few hundred quid with the intention being for her to foal what these novice owners hoped would become a decent racehorse. The owners - all 23 of them could only afford the cheapest stallion available so picked him and not long after, a gangly chestnut foal was born nobody saw coming and even Disney would deem too far fetched if they were creating him for a feel good family movie.
Kept on an allotment and fed veg peelings and whatever was going spare initially, the owners eventually saved up enough to pay the fees for him to be professionally trained. The yard staff and trainer admitted when Jan and Daisy rocked up enquiring about training "Dream" for them, they really thought the couple were tourists that just wanted to have a day of tyre kicking and time wasting before going back to their Butlins chalet.
With a slow, inconsistent start, this gangly outsider owned by commoners turned out to be an actual contender, full of cocksure confidence and with attitude, arrogance and deciding on his terms when and where he felt like running. That quirk reminded me of so many horses I've known, loved, ridden and been infuriated with as they give everything for you and would jump through a brick wall if asked one day only to go "Nah.. don't feel like it today mate gonna kick back and watch The Kardashian's" another.
"Dream" became the surprise to everyone but suffered an injury that sees the majority of racehorses euthanised. The footage of him hit the landing side and his foreleg just go made me wince and mentally pull him up and the screens appearing and surrounding him straight after made my heart sink even though I know his story and that it didn't end there on the course that day.
Due to his success on the track, his insurance value had risen and at the time of his injury he was worth around £180,000 so in the nicest way, Dream was worth more to them all dead than alive but with only a small chance the vets could do something to keep him alive - even if he never raced again in his life - the syndicate agreed to try doing everything possible and opted to have him transferred to an equine hospital immediately and attempt to treat and save his life.
It's worth keeping in mind how incredibly unlikely it was vets would be successful saving his leg at all and how much the insurance money that mean to these people who barely had a pot to pee in at the end of each month. Say what you will about the racing industry and its often cruel, cold-minded mentality in many respects, this lot genuinely cared about this horse and did what they felt was right for him not what was recommended and they stood to gain financially from doing.
Against all odds Dream recovered and went on to return to win the Welsh Grand National at which point he'd safely assured his place in the history books.
I did feel for Jan and Howard in their differing ideas following his win at the Welsh. On one hand I understood how and why Howard felt strongly there was just one last step left in this incredible journey and go big in the Grand National but on the other, I sensed and shared Jan's regret at having not retired him right after he won the Welsh.
He ran his heart out, he earned his place amongst the elites and had done more than anyone ever imagined so I would have personally retired him the second he passed the finish post and let him bow out gracefully rather than dare push my luck and risk him going over the fences in the Grand National.
Howard's wife came over as the only person that didn't support him, understand the love her husband had for this horse and I suspect she might have been one of a select few who was maybe even annoyed at their decision to save and not euthanise him on the course. Harsh I know but that's the feeling I got from the interviews she gave. Not sure if she was included to balance things out or what but she just comes across as a woman that wouldn't give a tiny toss if Dream had ended up in her lasagne.
Jan however - totally different soul and I felt her tears talking about the "pact" she made with Dream and promise to bring him back home to her when he'd had enough and couldn't or didn't want to run any more. She made good on her promise and made sure after his retirement he remained well cared for as he rightly deserves and still is to this day.
The only thing I'd have liked is to hear a little more background and info as to what Janet and Daisy's prior experience was with horses. Although new to racing, they both had some knowledge and Daisy talked of his love for both riding and driving so they didn't go in entirely blind. Maybe that was skipped over because of the likelihood their background is with hardier Welsh Cobs and not TB chasers but it's still relevant or at least it is to me.
I learned to ride as a very young kid with Irish gypsy cobs and later rode racehorses and showjumpers so to me it's not remotely irrelevant or insignificant.
If you've had the sort of quiet conversations with a horse that Jan talks of having with Dream, you'll understand and not need another word of explanation.
If you read this and think I sound like a 10yr old girl with a bedroom full of pink and silver unicorns, I can't explain it anyway so won't waste time trying.
If you've ever ridden / competed with a horse you know inside out, back to front and whose one consistency is being so bloody inconsisent, you'll appreciate this fella. He's a diamond.