Dream Horse Parent Guide

Many a desperate soul has tried to solve their problems by betting on the horses – but few have done so in such a unique way as Jan Vokes.

Even working two jobs, Jan (played by Toni Collette) can barely afford to take care of her aging parents, out-of-work husband (Owen Teale), large dog and collection of stray animals. While trying to ignore the monotony and thanklessness of her situation, she happens to overhear a conversation at the local pub.

Although the pint of beer Howard Davis (Damian Lewis) was drinking at the time may have embellished his story, Jan learns the ordinary man with a regular day job used to own a racehorse. Usually a hobby of the rich, Howard was able to move in the elite circles of thoroughbreds and wealthy patrons because he was part of a syndicate.

Jan is intrigued by the idea of group of people owning one animal. Undaunted by her lack of knowledge of the sport or of its equine competitors, Jan couples her enthusiasm with a little research and comes up with a plan. First, she needs a horse. A search in the classified ads turns up a retired, pedigreed mare being sold at a discounted price. The next steps are to breed the female with a champion male, then raise and train the prospective colt. But stud fees, stable fees and professional handling all require a lot of money.

Through persistence, Jan manages to talk Howard into coming on board to share his business expertise, even though he estimates their odds of success at about one percent. Eventually, despite the economic dression of their small Welsh community, Jan and Howard also round up about twenty other townsfolk who will make a small donation each week with the promise of splitting any future winnings.

Obviously, the alliance that backs Jan and Howard’s foal would have had a greater chance of making a profit if they had just put their money down on already proven horses. However, the gamble they are taking is about more than winning, losing and financial gains. Aptly named, Dream represents a reason for each of his sponsors to find hope again.

And that is the point of this movie too. Even though some family viewers may struggle with its endorsement of the racing industry, betting or the amount of alcohol drunk throughout, few will be able to fault the film’s good intentions. Based on a true story, Dream Horse depicts the faith it takes to explore risks, the courage needed to face failure, and the growth that comes to those who chose to run the race.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.