Ride a Wild Pony

Ride a Wild Pony is a 1975 American-Australian family adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions, directed by Don Chaffey and based on the novel A Sporting Proposition by James Aldridge.

Plot
Set in a small Australian town during the interwar period, the film follows the battle between two children, Scott, a poor farm boy, and Josie, the handicapped daughter of a wealthy ranch owner, for ownership of a horse that both children love. Scott requires a horse to ride seven miles to school today and his father buys an unbroken pony, which Scott names Taff. Josie yearns to ride again but, being afflicted with polio two years ago, must settle on the use of a cart and pony. Scott's pony disappears, while a pony is eventually selected for Josie from her father's herd. When Scott sees the horse, which Josie named Bo, performing in the pony and cart competition at the township fair, he recognizes it as his horse and attempts to take it away. The ensuing quarrel affects both the children as well as dividing the town. The children eventually become friends and, while the ownership issue is legally resolved, they agree on a way of sharing the pony between them.

Cast

 * Robert Bettles as Scott Pirie
 * Eva Griffith as Josie Ellison
 * Michael Craig as James Ellison
 * John Meillon as Charles Quayle
 * Alfred Bell as Angus Pirie
 * Roy Haddrick as J.C. Strapp
 * Peter Gwynne as Sgt. Collins
 * Melissa Jaffer as Mrs. Pirie
 * Lorraine Bayly as Mrs. Ellison
 * Wendy Playfair as Mrs. Quayle
 * Kate Clarkson as Jeannie Quayle
 * Jessica Noad as Miss Elsie
 * Neva Carr Glyn as Miss Gwen
 * Gerry Duggan as Train Engineer

Production
Although based on an Australian story, the film was originally intended to be rewritten to fit an American setting. However, the producer, Jerome Courtland, determined that an Australian background would not detract from the film's potential for success in the US. As a result, the film was not only set in Australia, but employed a largely Australian-based cast. Ride a Wild Pony was filmed in the historic town of Chiltern, Victoria. Several different Welsh mountain ponies were used in the film's production.

Shooting began in October 1974 and mostly took place in the small town of Chiltern near Wodonga in Victoria.

Reception
In 1976, The New York Times criticized the film as a "fundamentally uneventful and somewhat padded story", while in 1987 in a review for the film's video release it wrote that the film "was well acted, by adults, youngsters and pony...a film that children – and their parents – should certainly enjoy." Also in 1976, The Blade wrote that the film "combines an intelligent script, a generally excellent cast, and good production values in a film with broad appeal." The Daily Collegian also praised the film, saying that it contained "a refreshing amount of realism, and an emotional subtelty that is unusual for a Disney film."