Equus – August 2019

98 EqUUS 498 AUTUMN 2019

I

n my gut, I knew this wouldn’t go well.
I sat on my stunt horse, Jim, as we
waited for our cue. We were in full
Western tack, and ahead of us was an
open-topped buckboard wagon with
four large, spoked wheels. A photogra-
pher was setting up nearby. The plan
called for us to jump the wagon to get
some publicity stills for the upcom-
ing movie “The Big Country,” starring
Gregory Peck.
I had known Peck for years, and
when I’d heard about the film, I’d
called him to inquire about work as
a stunt double for the female leads---
Jean Simmons and Carroll Baker. I also
asked him if he could use Jim---he was a
beautiful horse and he could jump just
about anything. I was offered the job as
a stunt rider, but the horse? Peck wasn’t
sure. “Let’s get some pictures,” he said.

EQ TRUETALE

A photo taken some

60 years ago captures

a moment I’d sooner

forget---when, instead

of following my

instincts, I put a

horse I loved at risk.

By Martha Crawford Cantarini

So here we were on the grounds at

Fat Jones Stables in North Hollywood,

California. Jones supplied horses for

Hollywood movies and television shows

for more than 50 years, and he had a

yard full of wagons, stagecoaches and

other horse-drawn vehicles that he

rented to the studios.

It was a beautiful day for

photographs, and this buckboard full

of straw bales was chosen for the shoot.

At first all seemed well. I had already

schooled Jim to jump the wagon on a

longe line, and he had cleared it easily

and without hesitation.

But now, sitting there in a heavy

saddle, I considered the deep, sandy

footing and the relatively short distance

we had to approach the wagon---we

wouldn’t have the space to get up to a

full gallop---and I grew apprehensive.

Freeze

frame

HARD LANDING:

Martha Crawford

Cantarini and

Jim were lucky

to walk away

unharmed from

their mishap.