Frank Hopkins

Frank T. Hopkins (* 1865, † 1951) was an American cowboy and according to their own controversial details a successful endurance riders.

Life

Information about Hopkins is based almost exclusively on Hopkins autobiography and distributed by him stories. According to them, Hopkins 's mother was the daughter of a Sioux chief, why he in his youth often rode with the Indians to catch Mustangs. At twelve, he was said to be a dispatch rider for the Army. After he had ridden from 1886 distance race and won partially unsurpassed, it should have occurred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, where he had been invited in 1889 in Paris to an Arabian horse racing. Although the race over 3000 miles 've extends and Hopkins had begun with his mustang Hidalgo first foreigner against the desert Arabian horses tested, he should have won the race after 68 days with several hours ahead. Up to the age of 60 Hopkins should be taken up in supposedly about 400 endurance race.

Film

After Hopkins life in 2004 with the movie Hidalgo - was also marketed adapted 3000 miles to glory for the movies and Disney as a " true story " (true story), a discussion broke out about the authenticity of the narratives. Some said they were complete invention, especially as Basha and CuChullaine O'Reilly, founder of the endurance riders Association Long Riders ' Guild, the Hopkins examined individual assertions. So there is no evidence for the use of Hopkins in the conscientiously guided Army documents based on recovered distance rides - some of the alleged race would anyway never happened - at Hopkins employees at Buffalo Bill's well-documented Wild West show still on the Arabian endurance race. That supposedly famous and upcoming races for centuries, which led across national borders, was despite adequate source position in the Arab historians neither in the West nor in the Middle East a term. The only representation come from a western book (W. Harris: Blood of the Arab), which is based on Hopkins own information.

Although Hidalgo screenwriter John Fusco admits dramatic embellishments of the film, but refers to the fundamental truth claims of Hopkins at his own talks with Lakota and Blackfoot Indians, who him about endurance ride wins by a Pinto Mustangs under a half-breed horse and a distance race in Arabia have been reported. Horse magazines from the mid-20th century would also confirm parts of Hopkins representation. Since it is not in these documents are primary sources, but reproductions second hand (which could theoretically go back again at Hopkins narratives ), the veracity of the Hopkins - adventure remains unclear.