Pic of the Day

Ben Johnson rides Alla Romana
(like the Romans)

Blurb found on Pinterest:

Ben Johnson riding ‘alla Romana’ . Rio Grande, 1950 ' Ford called Ben Johnson and me and said :' You boys know Roman riding?' Ben said :' That's standing on two horses ? No, we've never done that.' ' Well you've got to learn in three weeks.' Harry Carey jr.

Ben Johnson was a stunt rider and actor. He worked with director John Ford in a number of movies. Harry Carey Jr. was another stunt rider. 'Harry Carey'. What a name to have during WW2.

Ben Johnson won an award for his role in The Last Picture show. I remember seeing that movie a zillion years ago and thought it was kind of dumb and boring. I do remember one of the guys telling his friend that he drank a beer first thing in the morning since he had started working as a roughneck. That was just before the two of them got in a fight, the bottle got broken, and the other guy got cut and maybe lost an eye.

But back to stunts. I see kids doing all kinds of acrobatic stunts on mountain bikes and motorcycles and I think they are brave, crazy and or foolish, depending on what mood I'm in. But riding two horses over a jump is a whole 'nother level. Or maybe it's just the same spirit applied to a different world.

I have ridden horses a couple of times, usually as a tourist as the opportunity arose. Keeping horses is kind of expensive proposition in both time and money. Maybe one of these days I'll get a horse. Who'm I kidding? More likely I'll buy a lawn tractor and explore my lower yard.

Lloyd's Beware The Blog has a page about Ben Johnson.

Via daily timewaster